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Children’s Literature 
in the Elementary School 




• CHARLOTTE S. HUCK 

• DORIS A. YOUNG 

Children’s Literature 
in the Elementary Sclioo 


HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON • NEW YORK 



Copyright © 1961 

by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. 

All Rights Reserved 

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 61-11683 

23787-0111 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 


Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following 
authors, illustrators, publishers, and agencies for per- 
mission to reprint illustrations and selections from 
copyrighted material. 

OSBORNE WARD VASSALL ABBOT and THE 
ESTATE OF LADY STRACHIE, Illustration and 
selections from The Complete Nonsense Book by 
Edward Lear. 

APPLETON-CENTURY-CROFTS, INC.— An illus- 
tration from Mother Goose by Arthur Rackham. 
Copyright, 1913, Arthur Rackham, 1941 by Ed)th 
Rackham. Reproduced by permission of Appleton- 
Century-Crofts, Inc. and William Heinemann Ltd. 
ARTISTS AND WRITERS GUILD, INC — Art work 
by Cornelius DeWitt for The Story of California , 
The Story of the Southern Highlands , The Story of 
the Pennsylvania Dutch , The Story of the Great 
Lakes; by Feodor Rojankovsky for The Tall Book 
of Mother Goose (copyright 1942 by Artists and 
Writers Guild, Inc.) Reprinted by permission. 
EDGAR AND INGRI PARIN D’AULAI RE— World 
rights for an illustration from Ola (Doubleday & 
Company, Inc.) used by their permission. 

THE BODLEY HEAD LTD.— World rights for an 
illustration by Roger Duvoisin from The Happy 
Lion by Louise Fatio. 

ALBERT BONNIERS FORLAG— Illustration from 
Chendru , The Boy and the Tiger by Astrid Sucks- 
dorf. 

BRANDT & BRANDT — Two verses from “Abraham 
Lincoln” and four lines from “Thomas Jefferson” 
by Stephen Vincent Ben£t from A Book of Amer- 
icans (Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc.). Copyright, 
1933, by Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Bendt, re- 
printed by permission of Brandt Sc Brandt. British 
Empire rights for “Self-Portrait” from The Col- 
lected Poems of Freddy, the Pig by Walter R. 
Brooks (Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.). 

CURTIS BROWN, LTD. — Reprinted by permission 
of the authors: second verse of “A New Song to 
Sing About Jonathan Bing” in Jonathan Bing and 
Other Verses by Beatrice Curtis Brown, copyright 
1936 by Beatrice Curtis Brown; British Empire 
rights for quotations from “E Is an Escalator” 


from All Around the Town by Phyllis McGinley 
(J. B. Lippincott Co.), copyright 1948 by Phyllis 
McGinley, from Miracles on Maple Hill by Vir- 
ginia Sorensen (Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc.), 
copyright © 1956 by Virginia Sorensen, and from 
Wind in the Willoxvs by Kenneth Grahame, illus- 
trated by E. H. Shepard, illustration reprinted 
including world rights by permission of the artist, 
copyright 1933, 1953 Charles Scribners’ Sons and 
copyright under the Berne Convention; world 
rights for an illustration and limerick from Type- 
writer Town by William Jay Smith (E. P. Dutton 
Sc Co.), copyright © 1960 by William Jay Smith. 

CHILDREN’S PRESS, INC.— Illustration from The 
True Book of Your Body and You by Alice 
Hinshaw, illustrated by Frances Eckert. 

WILLIAM COLLINS SONS & CO. LTD^British 
Empire rights: for the quotation from Sparkle and 
Spin by Ann and Paul Rand, copyright © 1957 by 
Ann and Paul Rand, for an illustration and quo- 
tation from Love Is a Special Way of Feeling by 
Joan Walsh Anglund, copyright © 1960 by Joan 
Walsh Anglund, for the illustration from Paddle- 
to-the Sea by Holling C. Holling, for the illustra- 
tion from Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers, illus- 
trated by Mary Shepard, copyright 1934 by Reynal 
8c Hitchcock. 

CONSTABLE AND COMPANY LTD.— British Em- 
pire rights for a quotation from Mary Jane by 
Dorothy Sterling, copyright © 1959 by Dorothy 
Sterling. 

COWARD-McCANN, INC.— Quotation from Three 
Owls, Third Book edited by Anne Carroll Moore, 
copyright 1931 by Coward -McCann, Inc. Illustra- 
tions from Millions of Cats by Wanda Grig, copy- 
right 1928 by Coward-McCann, Inc., and from 
Tales from Grimm written and illustrated by 
Wanda Gdg, copyright © 1936 by Wanda Gdg. 
Used by permission. 

THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY— Quotations 
from: Going Barefoot by Aileen Fisher, copyright 
1960 by the Author, reprinted by the permission 
of Thomas Y. Crowell Company; The First Year 
by Enid LaMonte Meadowcroft, copyright 1937, 
1946 by Thomas Y. Crowell Company. An illus- 


IV 



t rat ion by Symeon Sftiimin from Onion John by 
Joseph Krumgold, copyright 1959 by Thomas Y. 
Crowell Company; and an illustration by Clare 
Leighton from Untune the Sky by Helen Plotz, 
copyright 1957 by Thomas Y. Crowell Company. 

J. M. DENT AND SONS, LTD.— British Empire 
rights for “The Panther” from Many Long Years 
Ago by Ogden Nash. World rights for quotation 
from The Borrowers by Mary Norton, published 
1952 by J. M. Dent and Sons, Ltd. 

DODD MEAD & COMPANY — Illustration and lim- 
ericks from The Complete Nonsense Book by 
Edward Lear also by permission of the Adminis- 
trators of Constance Esther Rosa Cipelletti, Lady 
Strachie, deceased. 

DOUBLEDAY & COMPANY, INC— Quotations 
from: Oddity Land by Edward Anthony, copyright 
© 1957 by Edward Anthony; an article by Mar- 
jorie Flack appearing in Writing Books for Boys 
and Girls, edited by Helen Ferris, copyright, 1937, 
Doubleday & Company, Inc.; Mary Jane by 
Dorothy Sterling, copyright © 1959, by Dorothy 
Sterling. Illustrations from: Abraham Lincoln by 
Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire, copyright 1939 
by Doubleday & Company, Inc., published in the 
British Empire by C. Combridge Ltd., Birming- 
ham, England and included with their permission 
also; Ola by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire, 
copyright 1932 by Doubleday & Company, Inc.; 
Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes by 
Marguerite de Angeli, copyright 1953, 1954 by 
Marguerite de Angeli; The Door in the Wall by 
Marguerite de Angeli, copyright 1949 by Mar- 
guerite de Angeli, reproduced by permission of 
Doubleday & Company, Inc. and by The Worlds 
Work (1913) Ltd., The Windmill Press, Kingswood, 
Surrey, England; Mei Li by Thomas Handforth, 
copyright 1938 by Thomas Handforth,. reproduced 
by permission of Doubleday & Company, Inc.; 
Let's Go to the Seashore by Harriet Huntington, 
copyright 1941 by Doubleday & Company, Inc.; 
The Christ Child by Maud and Miska Petersham, 
copyright 1931 by Maud and Miska Petersham; all 
reproduced by permission of Doubleday & Com- 
pany, Inc. 

E. P. DUTTON & CO., INC.— “Birthdays” copyright 
1932, renewal, 1960, by Marchette Chute, from 
the book Around and About by Marchette Chute. 
Published 1957 by E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc. Quo- 
tations from The Young Traveler in Sweden by 
George L. Proctor, copyright 1953 by E. P. Dutton 
& Co., Inc. Illustration and limerick from the book 
Typewriter Town by William Jay Smith, copy- 
right © 1960 by William Jay Smith. All reprinted 
by permission of E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc. 

GUILIO EINAUDI EDITORE— An illustration 
from Hans Christian Andersen, Fiabe, Torino 
1954. 

FABER AND FABER LTD.— World rights for illus- 
tration and quotation from The Little House by 
Virginia Lee Burton, copyright 1942 by Virginia 
Lee Demetrios. British Empire rights for an illus- 
tration on the title page of Tales from Grimm by 
Wanda GAg. 

AILEEN FISHER — Quotations from “Skins” and 


Acknowledgments - v 

“Zero Weather” from That's Why published by 
Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1946. 

FOLLETT PUBLISHING COMPANY— Quotation 
from Lincoln, Friend of the People by Clara 
Ingram Judson, illustrated by Robert Frankenberg, 
copyright 1950 by Clara Ingram Judson, reprinted 
by permission of Follett Publishing Company. 

FRATELLI FABBRI EDITORI — An illustration 
by Maraja, from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis 
Carroll. 

GOLDEN PRESS, INC. — Illustrations reproduced 
from: The Golden Treasury of Poetry compiled 
by Louis Untermeyer, illustrated by Joan Walsh 
Anglund, copyright 1959 by Golden Press, Inc.; 
The Iliad and the Odyssey adapted by Jane 
Werner Watson, illustrated by Alice and Martin 
Provensen, copyright 1956 by Golden Press, Inc. 

HARCOURT, BRACE & WORLD, INC.— “Whis- 
pers,” “My Other Name,” and an illustration by 
Jacqueline Chwast from Whispers and Other 
Poems, copyright © 1958 by Myra Cohn Livings- 
ton, reprinted by permission of Harcourt, Brace & 
World, Inc. Quotations from: Sparkle and Spin 
copyright © 1957 by Ann and Paul Rand; The 
Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exup£ry, copy- 
right 1943 by Reynal and Hitchcock, Inc., re- 
printed by permission of Harcourt, Brace 8c World, 
Inc.; Abe Lincoln Grows Up by Carl Sandburg, 
copyright 1926, 1928 by Harcourt, Brace & World, 
Inc., renewed 1954, 1956 by Carl Sandburg, re- 
printed by permission of the publishers; Miracles 
on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen, copyright 
© 1956 by Virginia Sorensen; The Far Frontier 
by William O. Steele, copyright © 1959 by 
William O. Steele. Illustrations and quotation 
from The Borrowers by Mary Norton, copyright 
1952, 1953, by Mary Norton, illustrated by Beth 
and Joe Krush (p. 19); from Love Is a Special Way 
of Feeling by Joan Walsh Anglund, copyright © 
1960 by Joan Walsh Anglund. Illustrations from: 
Two is a Team by Lorraine and Jerrold Beim, 
illustrated by Ernest Crichlow, copyright 1945 by 
Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc.; The House That 
Jack Built by Antonio Frasconi, copyright © 1958 
by Antonio Frasconi; Mary Poppins by P. L. 
Travers, illustration by Mary Shepard [p. 18], 
copyright 1934 by Reynal & Hitchcock. All repro- 
duced by permission of Harcourt, Brace 8c World, 
Inc. 

HARPER & BROTHERS — Six lines from “The 
Things I Do” from In The Middle of the Trees 
by Karla Kuskin, copyright © 1958 by Karla 
Kuskin, reprinted by permission of Harper & 
Brothers. Quotations from The Long Winter, 
copyright 1940 by Laura Ingalls Wilder, reprinted 
by permission of Harper & Brothers; quotation 
from The Little House in the Big Woods copy- 
right 1932 by Laura Ingalls Wilder, cover illus- 
tration copyright 1953 by Garth Williams, both 
reproduced by permission of Harper & Brothers. 
Illustrations, copyright 1952 by Maurice Sendak, 
from A Hole Is to Dig by Ruth Krauss, repro- 
duced by permission of Harper & Brothers; quo- 
tations from A Very Special House, copyright 1953 
by Ruth Krauss, and illustrations copyright 1953 



vi - Acknowledgments 

by Maurice Sendak, illustrations and quotations 
reproduced by permission of Harper & Brothers; 
illustration from April's Kittens by Clare Turlay 
Newberry, copyright 1940 by Harper & Brothers; 
quotation from The Moon Jumpers , copyright © 
1959, by Janice May Udry, and illustration copy- 
right © 1959 by Maurice Sendak, reproduced by 
permission of Harper & Brothers; illustration by 
Garth Williams, from Charlotte's Web copyright 
1952 by E. B. White, reproduced by permission 
of Harper & Brothers; from Stuart Little copyright 
1945 by E. B. White, illustration (p. 19) by Garth 
Williams, reproduced by permission of Harper & 
Brothers; from Big Brother , copyright 1960, by 
Charlotte Zolotow, an illustration copyright 1960 
by Mary Chalmers, reproduced by permission of 
Harper & Brothers; The Storm Book , copyright 
1952 by Charlotte Zolotow, an illustration copy- 
right 1952 by Margaret Bloy Graham. All repro- 
duced by permission of Harper & Brothers. 

WILLIAM HEINEMANN, LTD.— Illustration from 
Mother Goose by Arthur Rackham. British Empire 
rights for a quotation from The Little Prince by 
Antoine de Saint-Exupery, originally published by 
Librairie Gallimard, translated by Katherine 
Woods and published in England by William 
Heinemann, Ltd. Reprinted through the courtesy 
of both publishers. 

THE HORN BOOK, INC.— Quotation from “Dis- 
tinction in Picture Books” by Marcia Brown in 
Illustrators of Children's Books 1946-1956 , by 
Viguers, Dalphin, and Miller, copyright 1958 by 
The Horn Book, Inc., used by permission of the 
publishers. Illustration from Illustrators of Chil- 
dren's Books, 1744-1945, compiled by Bertha E. 
Mahony et al., copyright 1947 by The Horn Book, 
Inc. 

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY— Illustration 
and quotation from: The Little House by Virginia 
Lee Burton, copyright 1942 by Virginia Lee 
Demctrios; America's Abraham Lincoln by May 
McNeer, illustrated by Lynd Ward, copyright 1957 
by May McNeer Ward and Lynd Ward. Illustrations 
from: The Country Bunny and the Little Gold 
Shoes by Du Bose Heyward, illustrated by Marjorie 
Flack, copyright 1939 by Houghton Mifflin Com- 
pany; Paddle-to-the Sea by Holling C. Holling, 
copyright 1941 by Houghton Mifflin Company; 
Rogue Reynard, Based Upon the Beast Saga by 
Andr£ Norton, illustrated by Laura Bannon, copy- 
right 1947 by Houghton Mifflin Company; The 
Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward, copyright 1952 by 
Lynd Ward. All reproduced by permission of 
Houghton Mifflin Company. 

BELLE HUBBARD — “New Shoes” and “Snow'” by 
Alice Hubbard Wilkins from The Golden Flute 
compiled by Alice Hubbard and Adeline Babbit, 
published 1932 by John Day Company, reprinted 
by permission of Belle Hubbard, executrix of the 
estate of Alice L. Hubbard. 

ELIZABETH ORTON JONES — Four covers draw T n 
for “The Magazine of Books,” The Chicago Sun- 
day Tribune. Reproduced by permission of Miss 
Jones. 

ALFRED A. KNOPF. INC.— “Self Portrait” re- 


printed from The Collected Poems of Freddy the 
Pig by Walter R. Brooks, copyright 1927, 1930, 
1932, 1936, 1937, 1939-1953 by Walter R. Brooks, 
by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.; “Dreams” 
from The Dream Keeper and Other Poems by 
Langston Hughes, copyright 1932 by Alfred A. 
Knopf, Inc., and se\en lines from What Is One? 
by Nancy Dingman Watson, copyright 1954 by 
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., reprinted by permission 
of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY— “Water” from 
Poems by a Little Girl by Hilda Conkling, copy- 
right 1920-1947 by Hilda Conkling; “Mrs. Peck 
Pigeon,” copyright 1933, and “The Night Will 
Never Stay,” copyright 1951, by Eleanor Farjeon, 
from Poems for Children by Eleanor Farjeon, 
published by J. B. Lippincott Company; “E is an 
Escalator” from All Around the Town by Phyllis 
McGinley, copyright 1948 by Phyllis McGmley; 
“Smells (Junior)” from The Rocking Horse by 
Christopher Morley, copyright 1918-1946 by Chris- 
topher Morley, reprinted by permission of J. I*. 
Lippincott Company and Paul Gitlin of Ernst, 
Cave, Berner and Gitlin for the Estate of Christo- 
pher Morley; “I Keep Three Wishes Ready” from 
All Through the Year by Annette Wynne, copy- 
right 1932-1959 by \nnette Wynne; “Eleven” from 
12345 by Arthur Gregor, illustrated by Robert 
Doisneau, published 1956 by J. B. Lippincott 
Company, reprinted by permission of Charles 
Rado of Rapho Guillumette Pictures. Illustration 
and quotation from Little Sioux Girl by Lois 
Lenski. copyright 1958 by Lois Lenski, reprinted 
by permission of Lois Lenski. Illustration from 
Skyscraper by Yen Liang, copyright © 1958 by 
Yen Liang, published by J. B. Lippincott Com- 
pany. All included by permission of the J. B. 
Lippincott Company. 

LITTLE, BROWN & COMPANY— “A Year Later” 
from Hello and Good-By by Mar) Ann Hoberman, 
copyright © 1959 by Mary Ann and Norman 
Hoberman; “This Is My Rock” from Far and 
Few by David McCord, copyright 1925, 1929, 1931, 
1941, 1949, 1952 by David McCord; “The Panther” 
from Many Long Years Ago by Ogden Nash, copy- 
right 1940 by The Curtis Publishing Company, 
reprinted by permission of Little, Brow'n & Com- 
pany. Quotations from: McWhinney's Jaunt, copy- 
right 1951 by Robert Lawson; Ounce Dice Trice 
by Alastair Reid, illustrated by Ben Shahn, copy- 
right 1958 by Alastair Reid. Illustration from 
Favorite Fairy Tales Told in France by Virginia 
Haviland, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin, copy- 
right 1959 by Little, Brow'n & Company. Illustra- 
tion and rhymes from Pebbles and Pup Tents by 
William Jay Smith, illustrated by Juliet Kepes, 
copyright 1959 by William Jay Smith. All re- 
printed by permission of Little, Brown & Com- 
pany. 

LOTHROP, LEE AND SHEPARD COMPANY, 
INC. — Quotations from: A Kiss Is Round by 
Blossom Budney, illustrated by Vladimir Bobri, 
copyright 1954 by Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Com- 
pany, Inc.; A Sleepy ABC by Margaret Wise 
Brown, copyright 1953 by Lothrop, Lee and 



Shepard Company, Inc. Cover illustration from 
White Snow Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt, illus- 
trated by Roger Duvoisin, copyright 1947 by 
Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Company, Inc. All re- 
produced by permission of the publishers. 

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY— Four lines of 
"Something Told the Wild Geese” and two lines 
of “My Inside Self” from Poems by Rachel Field, 
copyright 1951 by The Macmillan Company; two 
lines of “The Coin” by Sara Teasdale from Stars 
Tonight , copyright 1954 The Macmillan Company; 
quotations from Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie 
Brink, copyright 1935 by The Macmillan Com- 
pany; verse and illustration from The Rooster 
Crows by Maud and Miska Petersham, copyright 
1945 by The Macmillan Company. Illustrations 
from: The Space Ship Returns to the Apple Tree 
by Louis Slobodkin, copyright © 1958 by Louis 
Slobodkin; Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry, 
copyright 1940 by The Macmillan Company; This 
Is London by Miroslav Sasek, copyright © 1959 
by Miroslav Sasek. All used with the permission 
of The Macmillan Company. 

MACMILLAN & CO., LTD. — British Empire rights 
to the quotation from The Far Frontier by 
William O. Steele, copyright © 1959 by William 
O. Steele. 

MCA ARTISTS, LTD., AGENCY— World rights to 
an illustration from Horton Hatches the Egg by 
Dr. Seuss, cop\ right 1940 Theodor Geisel. 

THE PIERPONT MORGAN LIBRARY— Frontis- 
piece of the original manuscript of Perrault's 
Tales of Mother Goose. 

WILLIAM MORROW AND COMPANY, INC.— 
Illustrations from: Kangaroos and Other Animals 
with Pockets by Louis Darling, copyright © 1958 
by Louis Darling; Ameiica Is Born by Gerald W. 
Johnson, illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher, 
copyright © 1959 by Gerald W. Johnson; What's 
Inside of Animals? by Herbert S. Zim, illustrated 
by Herschel Wartek, copyright 1953 by Herbert S. 
Zim. All used by permission of William Morrow 
and Com pan v, Inc. 

NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION— Photo- 
graph by Carl Purcell from Foundations of Learn- 
ing in the Kindergarten. 

HAROLD OBER ASSOCIATES INC.— World rights: 
for an illustration from The Cowiti-y Bunny and 
the Little Gold Shoes by Du Bose Heyward, illus- 
trated by Marjorie Flack, copyright © 1939 by Du 
Bose Heyward and Marjorie Flack Larsson, repro- 
duced by permission of Harold Ober Associates 
Inc.; for “Mrs. Peck-Pigeon,” copyright 1933 © 
1951 by Eleanor Farjeon, and “The Night Will 
Ne\er Stay,” copyright © 1951 by Eleanor Farjeon, 
from Eleanor Farjeon's Poems for Children pub- 
lished 1951 by the J. B. Lippincott Company. 
Reprinted by permission of Harold Ober Asso- 
ciates Incorporated. 

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY— Quotations 
from Exploring Independent Reading in the 
Primary Grades by Schatz, et a!., 1960, Center for 
School Experimentation, The College of Educa- 
tion, The Ohio State University and a photograph 
of children from The University School. 


Acknowledgments - vii 

THE ORION PRESS — Illustration from Fairy Tales 
by Hans Christian Andersen, Orion Press, New 
York, 1958. 

PARNASSUS PRESS — Quotation from Hullabaloo 
ABC by Beverly Cleary. 

PHOENIX HOUSE LIMITED— World rights for a 
quotation from The Young Traveler in Sweden 
by George L. Proctor. (E. P. Dutton & Co.) 

PRENTICE-HALL, INC. — Illustration from Space 
Satellite, The Story of the Man-Made Moon by Lee 
Beeland and Rol)ert Wells, illustrated by Jack 
Coggins, © 1957, 1958, and 1960 by Prentice-Hall, 
Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J. 

G. P. PUTNAM S SONS— “Everybody Says” and “On 
a Snowy Day” from All Together by Dorothy 
Aldis, copyright 1925, 1927, 1928, 1934, 1939, 1952 
by Dorothy Aldis; “Bad” and “The Sad Shoes” 
from Here, There and Everywhere by Dorothy 
Aldis, published by Minton, Balch & Co.; illustra- 
tion from Little Toot by Hardie Gramatky, copy- 
right 1939 by Hardie Gramatky. All used by per- 
mission of G. P. Putnam’s Sons. 

RAND McNALLY & COMPANY— An illustration 
by Wesley Dennis from King of the Wind by Mar- 
guerite Henry. Copyright 1948 under International 
Copyright Union. All rights reserved under Inter- 
national American Copyright Union 1910 by Rand 
McNally. 

RANDOM HOUSE, INC. — Illustration from Horton 
Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss, copyright 1940 by 
Theodor Geisel, reproduced by permission of 
Random House, Inc. 

PAUL R. REYNOLDS & SONS — British Empire 
rights for 3 lines from Oddity Land by Edward 
Anthony, copyright © 1957 by Edward Anthony. 

WILLIAM R. SCOTT, INC.— Illustration from: The 
Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Broun, illustrated 
by Remy Charlip, copyright © 1958 by Roberta 
R. Rauch, reproduced by permission of William 
R. Scott, Inc.; Young Kangaroo by Margaret Wise 
Brown, illustrated by Symeon Shimin, copyright 
1955 by William R. Scott, Inc. 

CHARLES SCRIBNERS SONS— Lines from the 
\erse “O” from Peter Piper's Alphabet by Marcia 
Brown, copyright © 1959 by Marcia Brown, re- 
printed by permission of Charles Scribner’s Sons. 
Quotations from: The Courage of Sarah Noble by 
Alice Dalgliesh, copyright 1954 Alice Dalgliesh and 
Leonard Weisgard; Turkey Old and New by Selma 
Ekrem, copyright 1947 by Selma Ekrem; Birthdays 
of Freedom by Genevieve Foster, copyright 1952 by 
Genevieve Foster, all reprinted by permission of 
Charles Scribner’s Sons. Quotations and illustra- 
tions from Wind in the Willows by Kenneth 
Grahame, illustrated by E. H. Shepard, copyright 
1908, 1935 Charles Scribner’s Sons; copyright under 
the Berne Convention. Illustrations from: Cinder- 
ella by Marcia Brown, copyright 1954 by Marcia 
Brown; The Columbus Story by Alice Dalgliesh, 
illustrated by Leo Politi, copyright 1945 Alice 
Dalgliesh and Leo Politi; The Thanksgiving Story 
by Alice Dalgliesh, illustrated by Helen Sewell, 
copyright 1954 Alice Dalgliesh and Helen Sewell; 
Augustus Caesar's World by Genevieve Foster, 
copyright 1947 Genevieve Foster; and an illustra- 



viii - Acknowledgments 

tion reproduced by the permission of Charles 
Scribner's Sons from Mr. Peaceable Paints by 
Leonard Weisgard, © copyright 1956 Leonard 
Weisgard. All reproduced by permission of Charles 
Scribner’s Sons. 

SILVER BURDETT COMPANY— Quotation from 
Fun Around the World by Patsy Scarry, copyright 
1957, used with permission. 

THE SOCIETY OF AUTHORS— Quotations from 
“The Old Stone House,” “Tired Tim,” and 
“Silver” by Walter de la Mare by permission of 
The Literary Trustees of Walter de la Mare and 
The Society of Authors as their representative. 

P. K. THOMAJAN — Illustration from Pleasant Sur- 
prises A Novel Mechanical Book for the Little 
Ones . Courtesy P. K. Thomajan Collection of 
Animated Juvenilia, used by the permission of 
P. K. Thomajan. 

TORONTO PUBLIC LIBRARY— Illustrations from 
The Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books , 
1566-1910, published 1958 by the Toronto Public 
Library and used by permission. 

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS— Quota- 
tion p. 234 from Childhood in Contemporary 
Cultures by Margaret Mead and Martha Wolfen- 
stein, reprinted by permission of The University 
of Chicago Press. Copyright 1955 by the University 
of Chicago. 

THE VIKING PRESS, INC.— Quotations from Abra- 
ham Lincoln by James Daugherty, copyright 1943 
by James Daugherty; Adam of the Road by Eliza- 
beth Janet Gray, illustrated by Robert Lawson, 
copyright 1942 by Elizabeth Janet Gray; Jingle 
Jangle by Zhenya Gay, copyright 1953 by Zhenya 
Gay. Quotation and illustration from Daniel 
Boone by James Daugherty, copyright © 1939 by 
James Daugherty. Illustrations from: Aesop’s Fa- 
bles, edited and illustrated by Boris Artzybasheff, 
copyright © 1933 by Boris Artzybasheff; The Big 
Tree by Mary and Conrad Buff, copyright © 1946 
by Mary Marsh Buff and Conrad Buff; Play With 
Me by Marie Hall Ets, copyright © 1955 by Marie 
Hall Ets; A Little Child by Elizabeth Orton Jones, 
copyright 1946 by Elizabeth Orton Jones; Rabbit 
Hill by Robert Lawson, copyright © 1944 by 
Robert Lawson (p. 18); Pippi Longstocking by 
Astrid Lindgren, illustrated by Louis S. Glanzman, 
copyright © 1950 The Viking Press, Inc.; Make 
Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, copy- 
right © 1941 by Robert McCloskey; Time of Won- 
der by Robert McCloskey, copyright © 1957 by 
Robert McCloskey; Wonders of the Human Body 
by Anthony Ravielli, copyright © 1954 Anthony 
Ravielli; Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer, illustrated 


by Valenti Angelo (p. 19), copyright © 1936 Ruth 
Sawyer; Crow Boy by Taro Yashima, copyright © 
1955 by Mitsu and Taro Yashima. All reproduced 
by permission of The Viking Press, Inc. 

HENRY Z. WALCK, INC.— Illustration from Mother 
Goose by Tasha Tudor, copyright 1944 Henry Z. 
Walck, Inc. 

FREDERICK WARNE & CO., INC.— Illustrations 
from: A Nursery Rhyme Picture Book Number 
Two by L. Leslie Brooke; from “John Gilpin,” 
Picture Book Number 1, illustrated by Randolph 
Caldecott; Mother Goose or The Old Nursery 
Rhymes by Kate Greenaway; The Tale of Peter 
Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. All reproduced by per- 
mission of the publishers, Frederick Warne & Co., 
Inc. 

FRANKLIN WATTS, INC.-^Quotations from: The 
First Book of American History by Henry Steele 
Commager, illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher, 
copyright 1957 by Henry Steele Commager; The 
First Book of The Early Settlers by Louise Dickin- 
son Rich, illustrated by Douglas Gorsline, copy- 
right 1959 by Louise Dickinson Rich; illustration 
from The First Book of Medieval Man by Donald 
Sobol, illustrated by Lili Rethi, copyright 1959 by 
Donald Sobol. All reproduced by permission of 
Franklin Watts, Inc. 

WHITTLESEY HOUSE— Illustration from The 
Happy Lion by Louise Fatio, pictures by Roger 
Duvoisin, copyright 1954 by Louise Fatio Duvoisin 
and Roger Duvoisin, reproduced with permission 
of Whittlesey House, a division of McGraw-Hill 
Book Co., Inc. 

THE WORLD PUBLISHING COMPANY— Illus- 
trations from: / Went To The Animal Fair by 
William Cole, illustrated by Colette Rosselli, 1958; 
A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno, illus- 
trated by Kazue Mizamura, 1960; both reproduced 
by permission of The World Publishing Company, 
Cleveland and New York. 

THE YALE & TOWNE MANUFACTURING COM- 
PANY— Photograph of "The Reading Aloud Book- 
shelf,” used by permission. 

THE YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS— Quotations from 
The Lonely Crowd by David Riesman, Nathan 
Glazer and Reuel Denney, 1955, reprinted by per- 
mission of The Yale University Press. 

Illustrations page 18, left: Mary Poppins (Harcourt); 
right: Rabbit Hill (Viking). Page 19, left: The 
Borrowers (Harcourt), Stuart Little (Harper); 
right: Roller Skates (Viking). Page 462: A Hole Is 
to Dig (Harper). 



CONTENTS 


FOREWORD xvii 
PREFACE xix 


Part One. MEETING BOOKS AND CHILDREN 1 

THE WORLD OF BOOKS 2 


1— Growth Patterns and Book Selection 3 

KNOWING CHILDREN 4 

Guides from Child Development 4 
Guides from Learning Theories 5 
Guides Based on Children’s Interests 5 
Guides for Ages and Stages 8 
Guides for Studying Children 13 
KNOWING BOOKS 15 

The Need for Good Book Selection 15 
Criteria for Book Selection 16 
The Classics in Children’s Literature 22 
Children’s Book Awards 24 
Book Selection Aids 29 
SUMMARY 32 

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 32 
RELATED READINGS 33 
CHAPTER REFERENCES 34 


ix 



x - Contents 

2-Children’s Books of Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow 39 

CHILDREN’S BOOKS TODAY 40 
Big Business 40 

Better Quality and More Variety 42 
CHILDREN’S BOOKS YESTERDAY 42 

Children’s Books: Seventeenth — Eighteenth Century 43 
Children’s Literature: Nineteenth Century 51 
Children’s Literature: Twentieth Century 64 
CHILDREN’S BOOKS TOMORROW 69 
SUMMARY 70 
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 70 
RELATED READINGS 70 


Part Two. KNOWING CHILDREN’S LITERATURE 73 


3— Children Read Pictures 75 

AT MOTHER’S KNEE 75 
First Books 76 
“Participation” Books 77 
ABC Books and Counting Books 78 
MOTHER GOOSE 80 

Appeals of Mother Goose 80 
Different Editions of Mother Goose 83 
PICTURE BOOKS 88 

Definitions of Picture Books 88 
Criteria for Selection 89 
Types and Themes of Picture Books 99 
Illustrators of Picture Books 106 
SUMMARY 112 
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 112 
RELATED READINGS 1 1 3 
CHAPTER REFERENCES 113 


4— Children Seek Information About the Physical World 120 

USING INFORMATIONAL BOOKS 120 
A Case Study 120 

Criteria for Informational Books 128 



Contents - xi 


TYPES OF SCIENCE BOOKS 133 
Experiment Books 133 
Man 135 
Animals 137 
Plants 140 
Weather 141 
Earth 142 

Energy and Its Uses 143 
Space 144 
SUMMARY 146 
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 146 
RELATED READINGS 146 
CHAPTER REFERENCES 147 


5— Children Seek Information About People and Places 153 

BOOKS AND THE SOCIAL STUDIES 155 
The Social Studies Curriculum 155 
Books in the Social Studies Curriculum 156 
Criteria for Books About People and Places 156 
TYPES OF BOOKS ABOUT PEOPLE AND PLACES 157 
The Earth as Man’s Home 157 
Man and His Social Processes 158 
People in the United States 166 
People in Other Lands 170 
SUMMARY 185 
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 186 
RELATED READINGS 186 
CHAPTER REFERENCES 186 


6— Children Identify with their Historical Heritage 193 

FACTUAL BOOKS OF HISTORY 195 

Criteria for Factual Books of History 195 
World History 195 
American History 199 
BIOGRAPHY 205 

Criteria for Juvenile Biography 205 
Biographical Series 208 

Well-Known Biographers of Juvenile Literature 209 
Types of Biographies: Lincoln Comparisons 216 
HISTORICAL FICTION 221 

Criteria for Historical Fiction 221 



xii • Contents 


Historical Fiction — The New World 222 
Historical Fiction — Old World 227 
SUMMARY 230 
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 230 
RELATED READINGS 230 
CHAPTER REFERENCES 231 


7-Children Seek Understanding of Self and Others 238 

UNDERSTANDING SELF AND OTHERS 238 
Books in the Culture 239 
Books Lead to Understanding 240 
BOOKS TO DEVELOP UNDERSTANDING 245 
"Growing Up” 245 

Learning to Live with Physical Handicaps 253 
The Gang Creates Tensions 254 
Moving Toward Adulthood 256 
BOOKS HELP CHILDREN ACCEPT DIFFERENCES 258 
Differences in Racial Backgrounds 259 
Differences in Religious Backgrounds 264 
TOWARD UNDERSTANDING— THROUGH GUIDED READING 265 
Bibliotherapy 265 

Guiding Interpretation and Understanding 266 
SUMMARY 267 
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 267 
RELATED READINGS 268 
CHAPTER REFERENCES 268 


8-Children Enjoy Folk, Fun, and Fancy 272 

FOLKTALES 272 

Origin of Folk Tales 273 
Themes in Folk Tales 274 
Types of Folk-Tale Books 283 
Using Folk Tales 287 
FABLES 288 

Origin of Fables 288 
Collections 289 
Examples of Fables 289 
Using Fables 289 
MYTHS AND LEGENDS 290 

Origins of Myths and Legends 290 

Myths and Legends in the Elementary School 290 

Books of Myths 291 



Contents - xiii 


Epics and Legends for Children 293 
Using Myths and Legends 294 
MODERN FANTASY 294 

Modem Folk-Tale Style 294 
Modern Fairy Tales 296 
Animal Fantasy 298 
The World of Toys and Dolls 800 
Other Fantasy 301 
HUMOROUS BOOKS 305 

Strange and Amusing Characters 306 
Amusing Animals 308 
Fun in Everyday Happenings 810 
SUMMARY 312 
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 312 
RELATED READINGS 313 
CHAPTER REFERENCES 313 


9— Children Respond to Poetry 319 

POETRY FOR TODAY'S CHILDREN 320 
What Is Poetry? 320 
Satisfactions of Poetry 320 
SELECTING POETRY FOR CHILDREN 323 
Forms of Poetry for Children 323 
The Content of Children’s Poems 325 
Children’s Poets and Their Books 333 
Anthologies of Poems for Children 337 
USING POETRY WITH CHILDREN 340 
Introducing Poetry to Children 340 
Children Share Poetry 343 
SUMMARY 344 
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 345 
RELATED READINGS 345 
CHAPTER REFERENCES 346 


10— Children Have Special Interests 349 

ANIMAL STORIES 349 

Life-Cycle Stories 350 
Horse Stories 350 
Dog Stories 352 
Evaluating Animals Stories 354 
ADVENTURE STORIES 855 



xiv - Contents 


SPORTS BOOKS 356 

Informational Books 356 
Stories 356 
SPACE FICTION 357 
MYSTERY STORIES 358 
BOOKS FOR HOLIDAYS 359 
Christmas 359 
Hallowe'en 361 
Other Holidays 362 
Holiday Collections 362 
BOOKS FOR HOBBIES AND CRAFTS 363 
BOOKS ABOUT ART AND MUSIC 365 
Art 365 
Music 365 

ENCYCLOPEDIAS 366 
MAGAZINES FOR CHILDREN 367 
SUMMARY 368 
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 369 
RELATED READINGS 369 
CHAPTER REFERENCES 369 


Part Three. USING LITERATURE WITH CHILDREN 375 


11— Planning the Reading Environment 377 

CREATING THE READING ENVIRONMENT 378 
Obtaining Books 378 
Pupil Participation 379 
Classroom Arrangement 379 
Teacher-made Displays 380 

SHARING LITERATURE WITH CHILDREN 382 
Reading to Children 382 
Books for the Teacher to Read Aloud 383 
Storytelling 386 

FURTHERING INTEREST IN LITERATURE 389 
Knowing Authors and Illustrators 389 
Using Audio-Visual Aids 390 
Trips and Excursions 394 

WORKING WITH PARENTS AND THE COMMUNITY 394 
Parents and Children’s Reading 394 
Extending Community Interests 396 

SUMMARY 397 



Contents - xv 


SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 398 
RELATED READINGS 398 
CHAPTER REFERENCES 399 


12— Children Interpret Literature 401 

CHILDREN’S BOOK REPORTS 402 
Talking About Books 402 
Writing About Books 404 
Evaluating Book Reports 406 

INTERPRETING BOOKS THROUGH CREATIVE WRITING 407 
Motivating Writing through Books 408 
Developing Language Awareness 409 
Motivating Writing through Poetry 412 
INTERPRETING BOOKS THROUGH ART EXPERIENCES 414 
Illustrating Books 414 
Arranging Displays 416 
Developing Time Lines 419 
Planning Murals 420 
Constructing Box Movies 420 
Telling Stories with a Felt Board 421 
Planning Bulletin Boards 421 
Making Mobiles 422 
Using Projectors 423 

INTERPRETING BOOKS THROUGH CREATIVE DRAMATICS 423 
Creative Dramatics Defined 423 
An Account of Creative Dramatics 425 
INTERPRETING BOOKS THROUGH PUPPETRY 430 
Value of Puppetry 430 
Selecting Stories for Puppetry 431 
Constructing Puppets and Marionettes 431 
INTERPRETING BOOKS THROUGH GAMES 432 
Guessing Games and Riddles 432 
Table Games 434 
Individual Puzzles and Games 435 
CHILDREN STUDY THEIR LITERATURE 437 
Initiation 437 

Learning About Printing and Publishing 438 
Learning About Types of Books 438 
Activities Related to the Study 438 
SUMMARY 441 
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 441 
RELATED READINGS 442 
CHAPTER REFERENCES 442 



xvi - Contents 

13-Children and Books in the Modern School 446 

PLANNING THE LITERATURE PROGRAM 446 
Need for a Planned Program 446 
Literature and the Reading Program 447 
Special Periods for Literature 449 
Providing Time for Literature 451 
USING LIBRARY RESOURCES 452 

The Elementary-School Librarian 452 
Using Public Library Services 456 
ISSUES CONCERNING CHILDREN’S LITERATURE 457 
Where is the Elementary-School Library Located? 457 
Should Classics be Required Reading? 457 
What is the Place of the Rewritten Classic? 458 
Selection or Censorship? 458 
What About Comic Books? 458 
EVALUATION OF THE LITERATURE PROGRAM 459 
Evaluation as a Process 459 

Guide for Evaluating the Literature Program 460 
Lifetime Reading Habits 462 
RELATED READINGS 463 
CHAPTER REFERENCES 463 


APPENDIXES 465 

A. Children’s Book Awards 467 

B. Book Selection Aids 484 

C. Publishers of Children’s Books 493 

D. Book Exhibits and Book Clubs 496 


INDEXES 


Subject Index 

Author, Illustrator, Title Index 


499 

504 



FOREWORD 


The task of writing a professional book 
concerned with children’s literature is one 
of the most difficult in the field of educa- 
tion. Ideally, it calls for a specialized and 
encyclopedic literary knowledge that ranges 
over a span of centuries, an understanding 
of the inner world of childhood, and an un- 
usual capacity for hard work. In addition to 
these virtues, the author with sufficient te- 
merity to undertake such a book must have 
an intimate grasp of the art of teaching in 
a wide variety of schools and at the various 
grade levels encompassed by the elementary 
school. On top of everything else, the field 
of literature is interwoven — like a gold- 
thread design — into the fabric of all subject- 
matter areas: science, social studies, even 
mathematics, and, of course, in the language 
arts. This interweaving creates the further 
requirement that the specialist in literature 
be uniquely well-informed about the con- 
tent of literature to which children are ex- 
posed in school. 

Especially in view of the versatility that 
was required, Charlotte S. Huck and Doris 
A. Young richly deserve professional recog- 


nition for writing Children's Literature in 
the Elementary School. Not only is it read- 
able — the book is also authoritative, com- 
prehensive, and important because of the 
fresh and vital approach which the authors 
make in explaining so clearly how to make 
literature function significantly in the edu- 
cation of children. 

The inexperienced teacher will find secur- 
ity and a sense of purpose as he reads this 
book and even the most seasoned reader will 
find himself saying, “This is going to help 
me to do a better job!” 

I am pleased and proud to say in this brief 
foreword that Dr. Huck and Dr. Young, one- 
time students in my graduate classes, have 
“turned the tables” and taught me a great 
deal during the hours I spent reading their 
delightful and informative manuscript on 
the eve of its publication. I warmly recom- 
mend it to all of us who seek to improve 
teaching and learning in our schools. 

Harold G. Shane 

Dean, The School of Education 

Indiana University 


XVII 




PREFACE 


Children's Literature in The Elementary 
School has been designed for prospective 
elementary teachers, in-service teachers, li- 
brarians, and others with special interests in 
literature for children. It has been written 
from the point of view of the elementary 
classroom teacher who needs to know the 
literature which is available for children, 
criteria for evaluating books, and ways of 
using them in the curriculum. A major pur- 
pose is to help the teacher or librarian in- 
tegrate knowledge of children, books, and 
the learning process. 

The authors have been vitally concerned 
with the improvement of teacher education 
through undergraduate courses in elemen- 
tary education, student teaching supervision, 
and work with teachers in public schools. 
When working with students in courses of 
children's literature and methods of instruc- 
tion in language arts, science, and social 
studies, the need for a guide which would 
help teachers utilize children’s literature in 
the total elementary -school program was 
recognized. Frequently, the emphasis in 
books dealing with children’s literature has 
been upon books rather than upon the ways 
teachers can use literature in the classroom 
to meet children’s needs and interests, to 


deepen their insights, and to heighten their 
appreciations. The stress which has been 
placed upon instructional reading programs 
has overshadowed, and sometimes hindered, 
the development of children who enjoy 
reading. It is the hope of the authors that 
the teachers and librarians who use this 
book will develop skill, ability and enthu- 
siasm in promoting lifetime reading habits 
among boys and girls. 

Children's Literature in the Elementary 
School was written as a text for college 
courses concerned with children’s literature. 
The authors hold the view that a text serves 
as a reference during a course, providing 
background information which is extended 
through class discussion and other activities. 
After reading the examples of books in- 
cluded in this text, students should be en- 
couraged to bring to class other examples 
of children’s books for analysis and discus- 
sion. As part of a total teacher-education 
program, children’s literature courses should 
make use of laboratory experiences. Many 
of the activities listed at the end of the 
chapters will guide students in their study 
and understanding of children. Other sug- 
gested activities would provide opportuni- 
ties for students to develop skill in the crea- 


xix 



xx - Preface 

tive arts. Teachers who have participated in 
such experiences will be more competent in 
guiding children's interpretation of litera- 
ture. 

We believe that no text about children's 
books can substitute for wide reading of 
books for children. Descriptions of classroom 
activities cannot provide the jo; and under- 
standing which result from the actual shar- 
ing of reading experiences with children. 
We hope that readers of this text will find 
the deep satisfactions which come from dis- 
covering new books, knowing children’s au- 
thors and illustrators, and introducing them 
to boys and girls. 

The authors wish to express their appre- 
ciation to the children, classroom teachers, 
and college students who by sharing their 
enthusiasm for books emphasized the im- 
portance of the theme of this text. We also 
are grateful to Harold G. Shane for his very 
real interest and continuing encouragement, 
for reading the manuscript, and for writing 
the Foreword. We are indebted to Jean Le 
Pere and Carolyn Whitenack for their care- 
ful reading and criticism of the manuscript; 
to Elaine Turner for her invaluable research 
contributions in its preparation; to Barbara 
Friedberg for her interest and description of 


the teaching unit on children’s literature. 
We are grateful to Barbara Ade, Betty 
Curtin, and Mary Olsen for their aid in the 
arduous task of typing the manuscript. 

The authors also acknowledge with ap- 
preciation the following persons and school 
systems for permission to use photographs 
from their files: Hortensia Dyer of the Co- 
lumbus Public Schools, Ohio; John Sternig 
of the Glencoe Public Schools, Illinois; Fern 
Falk of the Hammond Public Schools, In- 
diana; Ralph Taylor of the San Diego 
County Schools, California and Edith Ed- 
monds and William Martin of the Winnetka 
Public Schools, Illinois. We also wish to thank 
The National Education Association and 
The Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company 
for their permission to reproduce photo- 
graphs. Finally, we are grateful to Donald 
Bowser and R. E. Peterson, photographers, 
and to The Ohio State University Depart- 
ment of Photography for their skill and ad- 
vice. 

C. S. H. 

D. A. Y. 

Columbus, Ohio 
Lafayette, Indiana 
April, 1961 







2 - Meeting Books and Children 

THE WORLD OF BOOKS 

Parents and teachers are pleased and proud new concepts are formed. Experiences in 

when children enter the “world of books.” If reading provide the energizing force for this 

a cartographer tried to create a map of this process of growing, stretching, splitting, and 

elusive world of books, he could include shedding of old ideas as new truths are dis- 

mountain peaks of adventure and valleys covered. 

shadowed by fears and suspense. There would Children seek truth about the world and 
be broad plains of information, rivers spark- its people; they want to know themselves and 

ling with laughter, and caves of mystery. Ex- where they belong. To see their own lives 

posed rock strata would reveal life in the clearly, children need to look into the con- 

past. Snug harbors would indicate comfort trasting experiences of others. They want to 

and security. New interests would sail forth know what is “right” in their society. Litera- 

on exploration of the oceans in that world. ture communicates these cultural values. 

This universe stretches toward the unknown Children also sense a need to discover the 

where one can meet strange places and differ- common elements in human experiences, 

ent people. The “literature world” is con- They search for inner peace and understand- 

stantly expanding; teachers cannot traverse ing of the universe. These purposes may be 

each road, nor can each child travel to all the satisfied in the world of books, 

corners of that world. But the teacher can re- The adult cannot insist that a child enjoy 
veal the “world of books” to the child; she a book if it does not bring him satisfaction, 

can show him the map, and help him begin The adult concept of a good book may not 

his lifetime of exploration. coincide with the child’s view, only the reader 

Children, just as adults, change their pur- experiencing the book can make that deci- 
poses for reading according to changing sion. Children will turn to whatever is avail- 

needs. Dad may relax with an Agatha Chris- able in their search for truth, fun, and beauty, 

tie mystery when he is tired and tense; Tim, The task of the teacher and librarian is to 

his ten-year-old son, with a comic book. Later, guide children into the world of books where 

Tim may want to know all about snakes, and they will find joy in living through savoring 

he will read avidly until this curiosity is sat- beautiful and interesting words as they sat- 
isfied. The child may not know why he likes isfy their many purposes for reading. Teach- 

a book or what purpose he is satisfying as he ers and librarians are challenged to know 

reads it. He only knows that as he reads, he children and books so the two may meet in 

has an enjoyable experience. Children feel that mystic world in which the child goes 

good when their mental and emotional skins beyond himself to better understand the uni- 
stretch tautly, then crack and break apart as verse and people in it. 



A book is to read. From A Hole Is 
to Dig by Ruth Krauss. Illustrated 
by Maurice Sendak. Harper, 1952. 



1- Growth Patterns and Book Selection 


At ten o'clock on a sunny April morning, 
Helen Merrill rang her neighbor’s kitchen 
doorbell and called, “Time for coffee." Mar- 
ion McGraw opened the door, a cup of coffee 
in one hand. “I’ve already started, Helen. 
I’m exhausted after getting the kids off. Last 
night's family fight continued this morning." 

Pouring coffee for her friend, she contin- 
ued, “Ever since the last report card came 
home, Tom’s been trying to help Chuck with 
his reading. The teacher wrote a note and 
told us to help him. Tom said he’d take over, 
and last week he came home with Treasure 
Island . Every night before dinner they sit 
down and Tom tries to get him to read. Hon- 
estly, that child just doesn’t know a word! 
Last night Chuckie stumbled over the words; 
Tom was tired and exasperated. Finally, 
Chuck threw the book across the room and 
said he hated that old book and he never 
could read it anyway. Tom said he loved it 
and read it when he was eight. Chuck is nine 
and he just doesn't read any books. It seems 


to me the school isn't doing a very good job. 
Tom said I’d better go over today and find 
out what they are doing. Chuck doesn't want 
me to go to school, and he stomped out of 
the house this morning. I don’t know why he 
can’t read and enjoy books the way your 
Susan does." 

The teacher who meets this disturbed par- 
ent will be challenged to explain the school's 
reading program. She will need to inform the 
parent of developmental characteristics of 
most nine-year-olds and what this means for 
reading. She should be ready to give specific 
suggestions for helping Chuck in terms of his 
individual reading problems and his inter- 
ests. It is apparent that this mother wants 
to cooperate with the school in guiding her 
child’s reading. The teacher will have to help 
her understand factors which should be con- 
sidered in book selection. Choosing books for 
children is a process based upon knowledge 
of child development, learning, and the field 
of children’s literature. 


3 


4 - Meeting Books and Children 


KNOWING CHILDREN 


Guides from Child Development 

Research in child development has contrib- 
uted knowledge about children which pro- 
vides guideposts for selecting books. Some 
principles derived from these careful studies 
of children’s growth establish a basis for guid- 
ance of children in learning activities. The 
child-development point of view begins with 
the recognition and the acceptance of the 
uniqueness of childhood. Children are not 
miniature adults, but individuals with their 
own rights, needs, interests, and capacities. 
This concept suggests a need for a body of 
literature capturing the wonders, humor, and 
disappointments of childhood. 

Growth studies have revealed similarities 
in patterns of physical, mental, social, and 
emotional growth. The characteristics of these 
different maturity levels should influence and 
guide teachers’ expectations of child perform- 
ance. For example, the teacher of children in 
the primary grades will provide literature re- 
lated to their egocentric interests. Stories 
about the immediate environment and every- 
day life will give satisfaction to this age 
group. Forgetting the pleasures of a leisurely 
walk with Grandfather, some adults might 
consider this experience unworthy subject 
matter for a children’s book. Helen Buckley, 
however, has recaptured the childhood sig- 
nificance of this event in Grandfather and /. 
Recognizing the expanding interests of eight- 
to twelve-year-olds, the teacher in the inter- 
mediate grades will select a wide variety of 
books. The school expects the range of indi- 
vidual differences to widen with increased 
educational opportunity. This necessitates 
provision of material of many reading levels. 
Studies of children’s understanding of time 
have significance for book selection. When 
children can understand the chronology of 
historical events, they will enjoy books about 
their historical past. In order to develop un- 
derstanding of expectations in terms of child 
development, students of children’s literature 


will need to become familiar with such stud- 
ies as those of Gesell and Ilg, Olson, Millard, 
and Russell . 1 

Patterns of growth vary within the indi- 
vidual child. For example, a child may be at 
one level of physical maturity and at another 
level of social development. While there may 
be unevenness in development, child be- 
havior usually reflects the interrelation of 
growth. The rate of total growth within the 
individual child will vary at different pe- 
riods. Reading interests and habits will 
change with changing patterns of growth. 
The child who has gained independence in 
reading will suddenly become an avid reader. 
The pressure of social activities and peer ac- 
ceptance may take precedence over reading 
during preadolescence. 

Studies of human development have also 
indicated that satisfaction of certain basic 
needs is essential for continued growth. To 
achieve security in his environment the in- 
dividual needs to feel he is: 

• loved and understood 

• successful and recognized 

• a member of groups significant to him 

• achieving and growing toward independ- 

ence through new. experiences 

Books alone cannot bring satisfaction of these 
basic needs. Literature can provide opportu- 
nities for vicarious experience through iden- 
tification. Children enjoy Caddie Wood- 
lawn’s escapades; they also find security as 
they read of her parents’ understanding. Two 
books, Sharp’s Nkxvala and Krumgold’s 
Onion John will help children identify and 
understand the achievement of independence 
in two different cultures. Books may also help 
children gain a feeling of success as they sat- 

1 Arnold Gesell and Frances Ilg, The Child from 
Five to Ten. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1949. 
Willard C. Olson, Child Development. Second Edi- 
tion. Boston: D. C. Heath & Co., 1959. C. V. Millard, 
Child Growth and Development. Boston: D. C. Heath 
& Co., 1958. David H. Russell, Children's Thinking. 
Boston: Ginn Sc Co., 1956. 



Growth Patterns and Book Selection - 5 


isfy their desires for new experiences through 
informational books. 

Other studies have made clear the influ- 
ence of society upon the development of the 
individual. In the American culture certain 
developmental tasks were identified by Ha- 
vighurst. 2 A developmental task is a task 
which arises during a certain period in the 
life of the individual. When this task is suc- 
cessfully achieved the individual feels satis- 
faction and approval of society. The achieve- 
ment of one task leads to successful achieve- 
ment of the tasks of the following level of 
growth. Some of the developmental tasks with 
which the elementary school child needs as- 
sistance are: 

• Developing a satisfactory self concept 

• Learning to get along with peers 

• Learning his appropriate sex role 

• Developing skills in reading, communi- 

cating, and using numbers 

• Developing scientific and social concepts 

necessary for effective everyday living 

• Developing values, attitudes, and con- 

science 

• Developing self-direction 

Although they have been mainly concerned 
with achievement of skills and knowledge, 
elementary schools have a responsibility for 
helping children meet all these developmen- 
tal tasks. Literature may play an effective role 
in realizing this purpose of education. The 
Hundred Dresses by Estes, Robert E by Mus- 
grave, . . . and Now , Miguel by Krumgold, 
Ginnie and the New Girl by Woolley, and 
Call It Courage by Sperry are only a few ex- 
amples of the many books which help chil- 
dren understand themselves and others. 
Other books which will help children meet 
developmental tasks will be discussed in 
Chapter Seven. 

Guides from Learning Theories 

Investigations of the learning process have 
yielded information about the conditions 

* Robert J. Havighurst, Developmental Tasks and 
Education. New York: Longman’s, Green & Company, 
Inc., 1950. p. 6. 


necessary for learning and have suggested 
learning theories which are basic to the de- 
velopment of classroom procedures. The fol- 
lowing principles are considered as teachers 
plan learning experiences for children: 

• Learning and behavior are caused 

• Learning results from individual goal 

seeking 

• The learner reacts as a whole 

• Learning is a problem-solving process 

• Learning implies activity 

• Learning occurs through interaction with 

the total environment 

• Readiness is essential for learning 

• A single experience may result in mul- 

tiple learnings, including values and 
attitudes 

• Learning is achieved more rapidly and 

easily when the material is meaningful 
and related to the whole 

• Approval helps the learner recognize ap- 

propriate responses 

• Successful experiences lead to higher 

levels of learning 

• Children seek appropriate experiences 

according to the wisdom of the body 
and mind 

Chapters 1 1 and 13 define the role of teachers 
and librarians in planning the school day 
and providing facilities for effective learning 
through literature. The activities for chil- 
dren’s interpretation of literature, which are 
described in Chapter 12, suggest means for 
the implementation of these principles. 

Guides Based on Children’s Interests 

Rousseau at the close of the eighteenth cen- 
tury emphasized the place of interest in the 
education of Emile; 3 since that time educa- 
tors have been concerned about developing, 
expanding, and utilizing children's interests. 
Interest is an elusive factor, but teachers 
know that this subtle element which focuses 
attention is essential to the learning process. 
Interests have been defined as preferences, 
drives, feelings of satisfaction, or mental ex- 

S J. J. Rousseau, Emile trans. by Barbara Foxley. 
New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1925. 



6 - Meeting Books and Children 

citations. Although there have been many 
studies of children's preferences, their wishes, 
their favorite activities, and their reading 
choices, there is still uncertainty about this 
channeling force which causes an individual 
to seek particular objects or activities. 

Research has revealed that interests are de- 
termined by several factors. The physiologi- 
cal structure of the individual leads to some 
interests or limits; for example, a slow-mov- 
ing, poorly coordinated girl who tends to be 
overweight will probably not express interest 
in the actual skill of dancing, yet this very 
lack may promote her desire to read about 
ballet. Sex is also a determinant of interest 
in that the culture decrees interests in terms 
of sex roles. Girls may be interested in dolls, 
but are not expected to express interest in 
mechanics. The child acquires interests which 
bring approval through conformity to social 
expectations. A sixth-grade girl may not be 
“interested" in horses or horse stories, but if 
most of the girls in her group express these 
interests, she will also ask for books related 
to this theme. Boys in the group may reject 
horse stories because “those are just for girls.” 
Interests become a part of personality through 
the process of identification. The child who 
observes the enthusiasm of parents and teach- 
ers for reading may emulate this behavior as 
he seeks their approval. Getzels pointed out 
that “One cannot so much teach interests as 
offer appropriate models for identification 
[sic].” 4 

To a great extent, interests depend upon 
the self concept of the child. If his early ex- 
periences have led him to say, “I’m afraid to 
try new things. I must wait until mother or 
teacher says I can go ahead,” his curiosity 
will be stunted and interests limited. The 
child who feels adequate for the task at hand 
can explore new areas of living. He develops 
a rich background of experience which may 
lead to new interests. The child cannot be 

4 Jacob W. Getzels, “Psychological Aspects,” in 

Developing Permanent Interest in Reading , Helen 

Robinson, Editor, Supplementary Educational Mono- 
graphs, No. 84. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 

1956. p. 9. 


interested in something which does not exist 
for him; therefore, the school, home, and 
community must provide opportunities for 
children to have many first-hand and multi- 
sensory experiences. Through a background 
of meaningful experience he can build in- 
terests. 

RESEARCH REVEALS INTERESTS 
There have been many investigations of ele- 
ments which attract children to books. Other 
studies have identified preferred content and 
most popular books. Research in the area of 
general interests has suggested implications 
for children’s interests in literature. Factors 
in literature which appeal to children have 
remained relatively constant. In 1921 Dunn 5 
found that surprise, plot, repetition, animals, 
narrativeness, liveliness, and familiar experi- 
ence especially appealed to primary children. 
Witty 6 and others found that animal stories, 
books with humor in narration, stories of real 
boys and girls, and books about children in 
other lands were favorites of children in the 
intermediate grades. 

Gunderson 7 reported that seven-year-olds 
described their favorites as funny, exciting, 
or magic. She noted that this age group pre- 
ferred an ending in which justice triumphs 
and the leading character accomplishes an 
unusual or unexpected feat. Sevens like the 
realistic to be personified. One second-grade 
teacher reported the following comment 
about the book, The Cock , the Mouse, and 
the Little Red Hen by Lefevre: 

“I like the stories in this book and I know half 
of them. I like something that tells something like 
this book does. The animals say something. Some 
books you pick up don’t tell stories. Like The 
Cat in the Hat and The Cat in the Hat Comes 
Back — I can read all those easy words but they 

6 Fannie W. Dunn, Interest Factors in Primary 
Reading Material. Contributions to Education, No. 
113. New York: Bureau of Publications, Teachers 
College, Columbia University, 1921. 

•Paul Witty, Ann Coomer, and Dilla McBean, 
"Children’s Choices of Favorite Books,” Journal of 
Educational Psychology 37:266-78, May, 1946. 

7 Agnes G. Gunderson, “What Seven Year Olds Like 
in Books,” Elementary English 30:163-66, March, 
1953. 



Growth Patterns and Book Selection - 7 


don't tell you anything. The pictures were funny, 
but I didn’t like the story." Other slower readers, 
when questioned about these two books, indicated 
that the illustrations had great appeal and the 
rhyming words helped them read the books, but 
they felt the stories didn't make sense. On the 
other hand, some faster readers were amused by 
the conversation, as shown in this reaction: "I 
loved the illustrations. It was a very funny story. 
They said such funny things." 8 

In a conference with her teacher a third 
grader revealed her likes and dislikes about 
various books: 

When Arlene brought her book to one of the 
late-in-the-year conferences, she said seriously, 
"This is a boring book." She had been reading 
books by the same author with great interest for 
some weeks past. Now she faced her problem real- 
istically and turned to new material. 

Developing the ability to make discriminations 
is a part of becoming a skillful reader. Children 
who read widely and independently can do this 
on their own. 

Here is what Arlene said: “I didn’t like this 
book like some of the other Bulla books. I espe- 
cially liked The Sword in the Tree. This book, 
Surprise for a Cowboy, didn’t have very many ex- 
citing and interesting things in it. It seemed sort 
of easy. It got sort of boring because it was the 
same thing all the time. 

" The Sword in the Tree was so exciting. I read 
it in a quarter of a day. It wasn’t boring at all. 
I’ve read a lot of other Bulla books and I liked 
them. They were real exciting. The people in the 
books found out so many interesting things, and 
so did I. I like to learn about things that I’ve 
never seen or about things that have never hap- 
pened to me before or maybe about things that 
happened in the olden days. 

"This book, Surprise for a Cowboy, kept talk- 
ing — just a boy, just a ranch, and just the same 
old thing all over. Nothing really, really exciting 
happened, you know, that would teach you some- 
thing." 9 

Summarizing responses from 24,000 children 
in grades three to six, Norvell 10 reported that 
animal stories ranked first, with biography 
in second place. He found that girls enjoy 

8 Esther Schatz, et at.. Exploring Reading in the 
Primary Grades. Study of Independent Reading, Bul- 
letin No. 2. Columbus, Ohio: College of Education, 
The Ohio State University, 1960. p. 35. 

• Ibid., p. 68. 

10 George W. Norvell, What Boys and Girls Like to 
Read. New York: Silver Burdett Co., 1958. 


books in which boys or men are principal 
characters, but boys do not enjoy books in 
which girls or women predominate. Children 
preferred poetry with humor and poems about 
animals and holidays, while poems about na- 
ture and fairies and didactic poems were dis- 
liked. Lazar 11 listed adventure, action, mys- 
tery, realism, child life, humor, animal life, 
and sports as elements which appealed to 
middle-grade children. With advancing age, 
boys turn to realistic narratives of adventure, 
while girls continue to favor themes of home 
life and begin to read romantic stories. 

Illustrations, color, format, type of print, 
and style have been factors studied to deter- 
mine reading preferences, but it is difficult 
to reach clear-cut generalizations from this 
research. Children do prefer space on the 
page and larger type. However, their pref- 
erences change as reading skill develops. A 
second-grader who had tried Shirley Temple's 
Storybook said the stories were too difficult, 
yet she recognized her evaluation would 
change: 

“I know a lot of the stories, but they are hard 
to read in this book because the words are all 
scrunched together." When questioned about 
what she meant, she said, “Well, you know, the 
words are like they are in Cowboy Sam and the 
Rodeo that I read last fall. They are too close to- 
gether.” Then, in comparing Cowboy Sam and 
the Rodeo and Shirley Temple's Storybook, she 
discovered to her amazement that the print in the 
Cowboy Sam book no longer seemed small or too 
close together. After making this observation, she 
said, "Maybe next year I'll read Shirley Temple's 
Storybook .” 1 - 

Parental pressure related to size of print can 
also influence children's choices. If a child 
is expected to read books with small print, 
he may feel pressured to select books which 
“appear" to be more difficult. Interest in 
gaining approval of others may take prece- 
dence over personal choice. 

11 May Lazar, Reading Interests, Activities and Op- 
portunities of Bright, Average, and Dull Children. 
Contributions to Education, No. 707. New York: 
Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia 
University, 1937. 

12 Schatz, et al., op. cit., p. 36. 



8 - Meeting Books and Children 



Six-year-olds enjoy short, simple stories. Columbus, 
Ohio Public Schools. 

Children’s general interests have been 
identified through observation, inventories, 
diaries, and other creative expressions. It 
would be expected that reading interests 
would be reflected in children’s informa- 
tional needs. When Baker 13 asked over 1000 
children to write questions they would like 
to ask, she found interest in animal life, com- 
munication, and the earth were predominant. 
Through use of observation and several in- 
struments, Young 14 found that the universe, 

18 Emily V. Baker, Children's Questions and Their 
Implications for Planning the Curriculum . New York: 
Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia 
University, 1945. 

14 Doris Young, “Identifying and Utilizing Chil- 
dren’s Interests,” Educational Leadership 13:161-5, 
December, 1955. 


animals, earth, human growth, and the 
weather were the major science interests of 
intermediate grade children. Science subjects 
were also among the first three categories of 
interest identified by Shores . 15 Boys more fre- 
quently wanted information about geology, 
geography, and rockets, while girls tended to 
seek information about foreign countries, 
history, and famous authors and artists. He 
concluded, however, that children are not 
necessarily interested in reading about the 
same things they ask about. The child may 
not want to read an entire book about gen- 
eralities; specific information is sought. The 
comment of a third-grader reflects this need 
for specific information: 

That dinosaur book is easy and I’m interested, 
but it just tells things I already know. You know, 
it just says that they lived millions of years ago. I 
already know that. I want to know names, how to 
pronounce them, and so forth. . . 16 

Literature can both develop and extend chil- 
dren’s interests. Understanding the develop- 
ment of interest in the cultural matrix will 
help parents, teachers, and librarians study 
interests of individual children. This knowl- 
edge will help them to effectively guide chil- 
dren’s reading. 

Guides for Ages and Stages 

Adults who are responsible for children’s 
reading need to be aware of the guides from 
child development, learning theory, and 
children’s interests. They recognize charac- 
teristics and needs of children at different 
ages and stages of development. At the same 
time it is important to remember that each 
child has his unique pattern of growth. The 
following outline describes some character- 
istic growth patterns, suggests implications 
for selection and use of books, and provides 
examples of suitable books for that particu- 
lar stage of development. 

15 J. Harlan Shores, “Reading Interests and Infor- 
mational Needs of Children in Grades 4-8,” Elemen- 
tary English 31:493-500, December, 1954. 

19 Schatz, et al., op. cit. p. 56. 






Growth Patterns and Book Selection • 9 

BOOKS FOR AGES AND STAGES 

Preschool and Kindergarten 



CHARACTERISTICS 

IMPLICATIONS 

EXAMPLES 

Rapid development of language. 

Interest in words, enjoyment of 
rhymes, nonsense and repetition. 

Mother Goose 

Krauss, A Very Special House 

G£g, Millions of Cats 

Continuous activity, short atten- 
tion span. 

Requires books which can be com- 
pleted “in one sitting.” 

Enjoys participation through nam- 
ing, touching, and repeating 
phrases. 

Three Billy Goats Gruff 
Kunhardt, Pat the Bunny 

Munari, Who’s There ? Open the 
Door ! 

Francoise, The Things I Like 

Concepts and behavior are ego- 
centered. 

Likes stories in which he is clearly 
identified. In telling a story, 
teacher or parent may substitute 
his name for the main character. 

Brown, Good Night Moon 

Krauss, The Growing Story 

Rand, I Know a Lot of Things 

Curious about his world. 

Stories about everyday experi- 
ences, pets, playthings, home, peo- 
ple in his immediate environ- 
ment are enjoyed. 

Flack, Angus and the Ducks 
Lenski, Papa Small 

Simon, The Daddy Days 

Marino, Where are the Mothers? 
Yashima, Umbrella 

Enjoys imaginative play. 

Likes stories which personify the 
inanimate. Talking animals are 
appreciated. 

Goldilocks and the Three Bears 
Burton, Mike Mulligan and His 
Steam Shovel 

Gramatky, Little Toot 
Will-Nicholas, Finders Keepers 

Seeks warmth and security in re- 
lationships with adults. 

Enjoys the individual attention of 
storytime. Requires poetic justice 
and happy endings. The ritual of 
the bedtime story begins litera- 
ture experiences. 

Potter, Peter Rabbit 

Minarik, Little Bear 

Flack, Ask Mr. Bear 

Flack, Wait for William 

Zolotow, The Night When 

Mother Was Away 

Beginning to seek independence 
from adults. 

Books can help children adjust to 
new and frightening experiences. 

Brown, The Runaway Bunny 
MacDonald, The Little 

Frightened Tiger 

Early Elementary 



Attention span increasing. 

Short stories, or he may enjoy a 
continued story provided each 
chapter is a complete incident. 

Zolotow, The Storm Book 

Aldis, Jane’s Father 

MacDonald, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle 
Newell, The Little Old Woman 
Who Used Her Head 

Seeks approval of adults. 

Teacher’s role is to make books 
important and reading enjoyable. 
Children need much praise. 

Sauer, Mike’s House 

Duvoisin, Petunia 



10 - Meeting Books and Children 


CHARACTERISTICS 

Continues to seek independence 
from adults. 

Continues to need warmth and 
security in adult relationships. 


Continued interest in the world 
around him— eager and curious. 


Fairness, rules are very important 
to him. 


Humor is developing, enjoys in 
congruous situations. 


Permanent teeth appear. 


Is expected to achieve the devel- 
opmental task of learning to read. 

Middle Elementary 

Attention span longer. Eyes ready 
for close work without strain. 

Attaining independence in read- 
ing skills. 

Wide variation in ability and in- 
terest. Differences in interests of 
boys and girls are now evident. 

Peer group acceptance becomes 
increasingly important. 


IMPLICATIONS 

Needs opportunities to select books 
of his own choice. 


Books can provide examples of 
good family relationships. 


Needs wide variety of books. 


Equal opportunities to read and 
share books should be provided. 


Encourage appreciation of humor 
in literature. Reading aloud for 
pure fun has its place in the class- 
room. 


Books can help the child accept 
physical changes. 

Opportunities to use many simple 
books other than the basic reader 
should be planned. He may enjoy 
books about reading. 


Enjoys hearing teacher read con- 
tinued stories. Prefers an unin- 
terrupted block of time for read 
ing by end of age period. 

Discovers reading as an enjoyable 
activity or hobby. 

Many books are needed to meet 
varied interests and abilities. Self- 
selection of reading material be- 
comes increasingly important. 

Children need opportunities to 
recommend and discuss books. 
Book choices may be influenced 
by leaders in the peer group. 
Reading certain books may pro- 
vide status. 


EXAMPLES 

deRegniers, A Little House of 
Your Own 

Felt, Rosa-T oo-Little 

Flack, The New Pet 
Shane, The New Baby 
Zolotow, Big Brother 

Zion, The Plant Sitter 
Miner, The True Book of Police- 
men and Firemen 
Conklin, 1 Like Caterpillars 
Aldis, All Together 

Zolotow, Do You Know What Til 
Do? 

Joslin, What Do You Say, Dear? 

Weisgard, The Clean Pig 
Krasilovsky, The Man Who 
Didn’t Wash His Dishes 
Kahl, The Duchess Bakes A Cake 
Rey, Curious George Gets A 
Medal 

McCloskey, One Morning In 
Maine 

I Can Read Series 
Beginning to Read Series 
Daugherty. Andy and the Lion 


SFF SUGGESTED LIST OF BOOKS 
FOR READING AI OUD, I»\GF 383 



Growth Patterns and Book Selection - 11 


CHARACTERISTICS 
Interest in collections is high. 


Improved coordination makes pro- 
ficiency in games possible. Success 
in sports becomes a developmental 
task of this age. 

Expanding interest in others, less 
egocentric. 


Seeks specific information to an- 
swer his questions. 


Is more able to cooperate and 
work in groups. 


Enjoys slapstick humor and hu- 
mor in everyday situations. Be- 
ginning to appreciate imaginary 
adventure. 


Later Elementary 

Rate of physical development var- 
ies widely. Rapid growth precedes 
beginning of puberty. Girls about 
two years ahead of boys in 
development. 

Understanding and accepting the 
sex role is a developmental task 
of this period. 

Sustained, intense interest in spe- 
cific activities. 


IMPLICATIONS 

Quantity of books read becomes 
important. Enjoys series books. 
Seeks identification and hobby 
books. 


Interest in sports books. 


Interest in biographies, life in the 
past, people of other lands. 


Needs guidance in locating in- 
formation. 


Books may be interpreted through 
group projects. Murals, group dis- 
cussions, puppetry, dramatization 
provide for development of skills 
in working with groups. 

Provide for oral reading of fav- 
orite incidents. 


Continued differentiation in read- 
ing preferences. Guide under- 
standing of growth process and 
help children meet personal prob- 
lems. 

Books may provide impetus for 
discussion and identification with 
others meeting this task. 

Reads with complete absorption. 
Children spend more time in 
reading at this age than any 
other. Tends to select books re- 
lated to one topic, for example, 
horses, mysteries, adventure. 


EXAMPLES 

Brooks, The Freddy Series 
Lovelace, Betsy Tacy Series 
Haywood, Little Eddie Books 
Cormack, The First Book of 
Stones 

Kettelkamp, Kites 

Renick, Nicky’s Football Team 
LeGrand, How Baseball Began in 
Brooklyn 

Childhood of Famous Americans 
Series 

Bulla, Squanto, Friend of the 
White Man 

Mirsky, Thirty -one Brothers and 
Sisters 

Fritz, The Cabin Faced West 

Zim, Golden Hamsters 
McClung, Sphinx 
Earle, Crickets 


Cleary, Henry Huggins 
Atwater, Mr. Popper’s Penguins 
Lawson, Mr. Twigg’s Mistake 
MacGregor, Miss Pickerell 
Travers, Mary Poppins 


Sperry, Call It Courage 
Sawder, Maggie Rose , Her 
Birthday Christmas 
Garfield, Follow My Leader 
Sorensen, Miracles on Maple Hill 

Brink, Caddie Woodlawn 
Steele, The Lone Hunt 
Edmonds, Two Log Crossing 

Farley, Black Stallion Series 
Henry, Misty of Chincoteague 
Meader, River of the Wolves 
Cameron, The Terrible 
Churnadryne 



12 - Meeting Books and Children 


CHARACTERISTICS 

Increased understanding of reality 
makes possible projection into the 
world of fantasy. 


Increased emphasis upon peer 
group and sense of belonging. 
Deliberate exclusion of others. 
Expressions of prejudice. 

Awareness of self and interest in 
feelings of self and others. Search 
for values. Interest in problems of 
the world. 


IMPLICATIONS 

Needs to be introduced to imag- 
inative literature. 


Emphasize unique contributions 
of all. In a healthy classroom 
atmosphere, bibliotherapy can aid 
individual and group adjustment. 

Help children relate reading to 
current events. Provide opportu- 
nities for discussion of books and 
their significance. 


EXAMPLES 

DuBois, Twenty-One Balloons 
Boston, The Treasure of Green 
Knowe 

Heinlein, Tunnel in the Sky 

Estes, The Hundred Dresses 
Woolley, Ginnie and the New Girl 
Sterling, Mary Jane 
Hayes, Skid 

Beim, Trouble After School 
Friedman, Carol from the Country 
Buck, The Big Wave 
Dejong, The House of Sixty 
Fathers 

Gunther, Meet South Africa 


Nine-year-olds seek specific information to answer their questions. Photographed by 
R. E. Peterson. 



Growth Patterns and Book Selection - 18 


Guides for Studying Children 

The teacher or librarian may be very familiar 
with general characteristics and interest pat- 
terns of children at various age levels; she 
may understand the basic principles of learn- 
ing. Such knowledge is of value only as it is 
applied to guiding each child as a unique in- 
dividual. It is important to know that most 
eight-year-olds enjoy folk tales and that many 
sixth-graders are interested in career books. 
However, the teacher will find wide varia- 
tions from the norms established for particu- 
lar age groups. Only after studying each child 
can the teacher say, “David will like this 
book. Philip will be challenged by this one. 
Just now, Beth will enjoy this fantasy.” Sev- 
eral techniques may be used to collect evi- 
dence of the child’s interests and needs. These 
records may be shared with the elementary 
school librarian who is in a unique position 
to study the child over a period of years. The 
librarian can share invaluable information 
about children with the teacher. 

Understanding of the child and the ac- 
cumulated effect of past experiences is gained 
through observing him in many situations. 
The teacher or librarian observes the child as 
he studies or reads alone, as he reacts to others 
in work and play situations, and as he meets 
problems. The teacher will note what he does 
not do or say as well as his active behavior 
responses. The teacher seeks to understand 
the child’s perception of himself, for this 
self-concept influences his behavior, his 
choices, his achievement. 

Observation provides many clues regarding 
the reading interests and habits of children. 
Watching the child as he selects a book will 
help determine his interests in books. Does 
he go directly to a specific book section? Does 
he know where he will find science books, 
poetry, biography, or fiction? Does he look 
at the chapter headings or illustrations be- 
fore he selects a book? Does he ask for help 
in locating books? Does he seem to follow 
the leadership of one or two other children, 
selecting in accord with their choice? Is he 
really browsing and getting to know books, 


or is he engaged in aimless wandering? Does 
he select books which are too difficult to read 
because he seeks status through reading “hard 
books”? 

Observing the child during the classroom 
library period reveals other helpful informa- 
tion. Does he begin quickly? Can you sense 
his appreciation of the illustrations? Does the 
position of his body reflect relaxation and in- 
terest in the book? If a child becomes ab- 
sorbed in the book, he is not easily distracted 
by movements or sounds in the classroom. 
The teacher may find it helpful to record 
these brief observations for a part of the con- 
tinuous anecdotal record of the child’s be- 
havior patterns. If such a brief observation 
is made of two or three children during each 
library period, a systematic observation rec- 
ord can be maintained. 

Several plans have been devised to keep 
records of children’s reading. For example, 
slips of paper with the book title or a num- 
ber assigned according to the teacher’s list 
may be placed in the book pocket or fastened 
with a rubber band around the back cover. 
As the first- or second-grader looks at the 
book or reads it, he removes a slip and places 
it in his own pocket on a reading chart. Sim- 
ilarly, the younger child may write his name 
on a slip of paper and place it in a pocket 
or envelope in the book when he finishes. 
Another method involves attaching a large 
card to the back of the book. When the child 
completes the story, he writes his name on 
the card. 

A plan for individual reading records can 
be arranged so that competition among in- 
dividuals is reduced. A gaily painted or cov- 
ered box can hold a file folder for each child. 
As a book is read, the child may write the 
title or use one of the teacher-made record 
slips in his folder. Older children will write 
brief comments about the book. If books are 
read aloud at home, mother or father may 
complete a simple record form which can be 
placed in the folder. (Other suggestions for 
book reports are included in Chapter 
Twelve.) 

Children's skills in planning may be ex- 



14 - Meeting Books and Children 

tended as the teacher involves the group in 
planning ways to keep records of their read- 
ing. The children may develop records of 
home reading on which they write titles of 
books read to them or books they read in- 
dependently. When children are involved in 
planning and recognize the purpose for such 
records, they will assume more responsibility 
for the process. Records should not be kept 
to determine who reads the most books. 
Reading records help the child answer the 
following questions: What kind of books do 
I enjoy? Am I reading different kinds of 
books? Am I reading books which are usually 
too easy, often too difficult, or usually just 
right for me? Am I spending enough leisure 
time in reading? Children can participate in 
evaluation through use of such records. 

The teacher also gains clues regarding chil- 
dren's reading interests by noting books 
which are brought for the sharing period. 
Without teacher guidance children may 
waste time in reading from a book which is 
of little interest to others, or which is of dubi- 
ous literary value. This problem may be han- 
dled by expressing sincere acceptance of the 
child's contribution and asking him to tell 
one part he liked or show one or two pictures 
he enjoyed. Conversation during the sharing 
time also reveals family reading patterns. 

In addition to expressed reading interests, 
the teacher needs to determine the other in- 
terests of children in her group. Among the 
children in one class some interests may per- 
sist. For example, nine-year-old Bruce has 
been enthralled with insects, especially moths 
and butterflies, since he was a toddler. Di- 
ana, now ten, is engrossed in dancing. Ballet 
lessons and daily practice are deeply satisfy- 
ing. Although they are no longer actively 
engaged in a class study of prehistoric life, 
several children in the third grade have con- 
tinued their excitement over dinosaurs. Cur- 
rent interests are developed through family 
trips, news items, visitors from other coun- 
tries to the school or community, and through 
television programs. Teachers should provide 
books which will capitalize on children's out- 


side interests and anticipate new areas of 
interest. 

To wisely select books for children in her 
class, the teacher also uses cumulative rec- 
ords. These school records should include the 
child's special interests. The standardized test 
data will show the present reading achieve- 
ment level and the progress he has made. At 
times a child may push beyond the reading 
level indicated by tests when he really wants 
the information in a more difficult book. 
For his recreational reading he may choose 
books which are somewhat below his level 
of achievement on the reading tests. 

Cumulative records, achievement and in- 
telligence test scores, and anecdotal records 
may be supplemented by other devices to 
help understand the child . 17 Children’s origi- 
nal stories based upon such titles as My 
Happiest Day, What I Like about Week 
Ends, and Favorite People I have Known 
will often yield helpful clues in under- 
standing the child. Sociometric techniques 
such as a sociogram based upon selection of 
committee members, seatmates, or friends re- 
veal the child’s social relationships. Projec- 
tive techniques such as The Class Play or 
The Class Picnic also provide help in as- 
sessing needs of children. The Ohio Recog- 
nition Scale, The Ohio Social Distance 
Scale, 1 * and interest inventories may be de- 
signed by the teacher to facilitate her knowl- 
edge and understanding of children. 

Parent conferences serve to acquaint the 
parent with the child’s school progress and 
problems, but conferences are also essential 
sources of information about the child and 
his environment. Through informal discus- 
sion the teacher may learn about the child's 
early language development, interests, and 
present reading habits. Do parents read aloud 
to the child? Is there a quiet time for read- 
ing? Does the child have a library card and 

17 See Related Readings, p. 33. 

“Who’s Who in My Group?” The Ohio Recogni- 
tion Scale. Columbus, Ohio: College of Education, 
The Ohio State University. 

The Ohio Acceptance Scale. Columbus, Ohio: College 
of Education, The Ohio State University. 



Growth Patterns and Book Selection - 15 


use it regularly? What are his interests and 
hobbies? Do parents purchase books for his 
library? Are there newspapers, magazines, 
encyclopedias available at home? Has he trav- 
eled, visited museums, or enjoyed concerts? 
More significant than these environmental 
factors, however, are the attitudes of parents 
toward reading. Is reading scorned, looked 
down upon, or encouraged as a worthwhile, 
important phase of living? In the conference 
the teacher will become aware of the parent's 
expectations of the child. Parent conferences 
help the teacher understand the many forces 

KNOWING BOOKS 

The Need for Good Book Selection 

Good book selection not only requires a thor- 
ough knowledge of children and their indi- 
vidual needs, interests, and abilities, but it 
demands an equal understanding of the field 
of children’s literature. Knowing children 
and knowing books are two sides of the coin 
of good book selection. 

Almost everyone is overwhelmed by the 
number of titles published each year for chil- 
dren. There are more good books for chil- 
dren today than ever before; there are also 
more of mediocre quality. This situation in- 
creases the difficulty of book selection and at 
the same time, emphasizes its need. How can 
one distinguish the trees from the forest? In 
this plethora of books, there is the danger of 
overlooking the really great. What guides 
may be used in choosing good books for chil- 
dren? 

Unfortunately, we cannot rely solely upon 
the choices of children. They are not born 
with inherent good taste in literature, any 
more than with good taste in art and music 
or in their choice of clothes and food. This 
does not mean that they do not like good 
literature; they do. But like Browning’s “My 
Last Duchess” they are indiscriminate and 
tend to like “what ere they look upon.” A 
typical ten-year-old girl is capable of enjoying 


which affect the child’s reading. All these fac- 
tors influence the development of children 
who can and do read. 

The teacher not only understands child 
development and principles of learning, she 
uses many techniques in studying the indi- 
viduals in her classroom. Observation is sup- 
plemented by cumulative records, inven- 
tories, sociometric and projective techniques. 
She utilizes this information in order to pro- 
vide a reading environment that meets the 
wide range of differences in interests and 
needs of the group. 


Doris Gates’ Blue Willow and a Nancy Drew 
mystery with the same relish. Children’s re- 
actions to books are important, however; for 
a book which is not read by children cannot 
be considered good. At the same time, the 
most popular children’s books are not neces- 
sarily the best books, any more than the best 
sellers of today represent great adult litera- 
ture. 

Many adults can remember a period when 
they were completely engrossed in the Bobb- 
sey Twins, The Hardy Boys, The Nancy 
Drew Mysteries, or the Sue Barton stories. 
These books did not harm the readers who 
went on to read other well-written literature. 
Why, then, should there be concern about 
children’s choices today? There is concern for 
two reasons. First, the increased number of 
books today makes it possible for a child to 
have a steady diet of mediocre books — he 
may not progress to literature of higher qual- 
ity. Secondly, the time in childhood is lim- 
ited; most children’s books have to be read at 
the appropriate age and stage in the develop- 
ment of a child’s life or they will never be 
read . The eight-year-old does not read Peter 
Rabbit, the twelve-year-old may think Twig 
by Elizabeth Orton Jones is “babyish,” and 
the high school student has outgrown Law- 
son’s Rabbit Hill . Introduced at the right 
time, these books would not only have been 



16 - Meeting Books and Children 

favorites, but would have provided rich 
experiences in children’s literature. In 1946 
Dorothy Neal White made the following ob- 
servation concerning children’s reading: 

Children read comparatively few books. It has 
been pointed out that if one estimates one book 
a fortnight from seven to fourteen years . . . , 
the number read during the period is 416. These 
four hundred books often influence a child far 
more powerfully than parents realize, and the at- 
titudes and conduct of the author's heroes may be 
temporarily adopted by the reader. A steady diet 
of second-rate reading can be as deleterious to the 
mind as poor food is to the body. There is more 
than one form of malnutrition. 19 

Since this time television and extracurricu- 
lar activities have made large inroads into 
the amount of time which children spend in 
reading. It becomes even more imperative 
that children have books which are both well- 
written and well-liked. 

Criteria for Book Selection 

The skilled author does not write differently 
for children than he does for adults. Just as a 
pediatrician must know the essentials of med- 
icine and then apply this knowledge to his 
child patients, so the author of children’s lit- 
erature must know the essentials of fine writ- 
ing and apply this knowledge to children’s 
books. The surgeon and the pediatrician are 
equally honored. Authors of children’s litera- 
ture and those who write for adults must re- 
ceive equal approbation. It is not easy to 
differentiate between some children’s authors 
and adult authors. A. A. Milne wrote both 
for adults and children, but it is for his chil- 
dren’s work that he will be remembered. C. S. 
Lewis, Dorothy Aldis, Elizabeth Yates, Pearl 
S. Buck, Dorothy Canfield Fisher and many 
others are well-known for both their chil- 
dren’s books and their adult books. Similarly 
many adult books, such as My Friend Flicka, 
The Yearling, and Treasure Island, have 
been adopted by children as their own. With 
few exceptions the criteria for evaluating 
children’s books are essentially the same as 
those for judging books for adults. 

“Dorothy Neal White, About Books for Children. 
London: Oxford University Press, 1946. p. 11. 


Plot Of prime importance in any work of 
fiction 20 is the plot. Children ask first, “Does 
the book tell a good story?” The plot is the 
plan of the story; it tells what the characters 
do and what happens to them. In a well-con- 
structed plot, the sequence of events is the 
logical and natural development of the ac- 
tions and decisions of the characters in given 
situations. There is a minimum of coinci- 
dence and contrivance. The plot should be 
credible, one that rings true. In literature 
written for children the story should develop 
through action and incident, rather than 
through detailed descriptions or character 
introspection. Youngsters crave action and 
suspense in their stories. They want “happen- 
ings.” As long as these events are plausible 
and credible, they provide stimulation and 
adventure. When the action goes beyond the 
capacity of the characters as portrayed by the 
author, it may become sensational. Some 
stories are read only for their plot. However, 
if suspense or incident is all the story has to 
offer, children will not re-read it for they al- 
ready know the plot. They may read another 
similar book, or the next one in the series. 
This partially explains the popularity of the 
series books. What child ever re-read one of 
the books about the Bobbsey Twins? Instead, 
he read another book in the series. If a book 
does not have a good plot, it will not hold 
children’s interest long. But well-loved books 
contain indefinable qualities and are memor- 
able for more than plot alone. 

Quality of Content Aside from the plot, we 
need to examine the quality of the conte?it of 
the book. The story must be one which is 
worth telling. One of the differences between 
literature for children and for adults is in the 
choice of subject-matter. Is the story appro- 
priate to the experience and background of 
the children for whom it was intended? The 
psychological and sociological probings, the 
sexual escapades, and political intrigues of 

20 Specialized criteria for picture books, informa- 
tional books and biographies will be given in the 
succeeding chapters which discuss these various cate- 
gories of children's literature. 



Growth Patterns and Book Selection - 17 


the modern adult novel are inappropriate 
fare for children. Children’s mysteries may 
have suspense and intrigue, but they seldom 
involve a murder. Good children's biogra- 
phies (see Chapter Six) will present both the 
strengths and weaknesses of their subjects, 
but will eliminate the sordid. The question 
of how much stark realism should be in- 
cluded in juvenile literature is debatable. 
There is no reason to overprotect or coddle 
the child's mind. However, there is no reason 
to shock it or deliberately frighten it until 
such time as the child may have developed 
the maturity and inner strength to face the 
tragedies of life, even vicariously. This is a 
matter of age and experience, and points up 
the importance of a teacher knowing chil- 
dren. In some instances books may be the 
very instruments by which children first learn 
to meet the hardships of life. Probably few 
American children will ever know the terror, 
pain, and hunger suffered by Tien Pao in 
The House of Sixty Fathers by Dejong. They 
may never know the personal horrors of war 
which he faced alone. This book, with its 
starkly vivid writing, contains a message 
which shakes at the very roots of survival in 
the twentieth century. It is not a book which 
all children are fortified to withstand, how- 
ever. 

Theme The third point for the evaluation 
of any story is its overarching theme. The 
theme of a book reveals the author’s purpose 
in writing the story. Constituting the main 
idea, it indicates the meaning behind the 
story. The theme of a book might be the love 
of animals, the acceptance of self or others, 
achievement through difficulty, the conquer- 
ing of fear, or the horror of war. The theme 
should be worth imparting to young people 
and be based upon justice and integrity. 
Sound moral and ethical principles should 
prevail. Paul Hazard, writing in Books Chil- 
dren and Men, made the following comments 
concerning the kind of children's books 
which he felt were good: 

. . . and books that awaken in them not maud- 
lin sentimentality, but sensibility; that enable 


them to share in great human emotions; that give 
them respect for universal life — that of animals, of 
plants; that teach them not to despise everything 
that is mysterious in creation and in man .... 

I like books that set in action truths worthy of 
lasting forever, and inspiring one's whole inner 
life 

In short, I like books that have the integrity to 
perpetuate their own faith in truth and jus- 
tice . . . 

The theme or purpose of the book should not 
obscure the story. It should be interwoven 
into the structure of the book naturally 
through the events in the story and the de- 
velopment of the characters. Children do not 
need to be told that Mafatu is brave in 
Sperry’s Call It Courage; he shows bravery 
by his actions. Many authors write primarily 
for a cause rather than for children’s enjoy- 
ment. As a result, there are dull books over- 
burdened with the world’s problems and 
concerns. Books should give children “truths 
worthy of lasting forever,” but such truth 
should be derived from the total impact of 
the story and should not be singled out in iso- 
lated incidents. There is a difference between 
books which are moral and those which are 
moralistic. Children have always rejected the 
didactic, preachy book. 

Characterization True characterization is 
another hallmark of good writing. The peo- 
ple or animals portrayed in children’s books 
should be convincingly real and lifelike. An 
author will attempt to create personalities 
(or “animalities” in the case of personified 
animals) that live for the reader. Their cred- 
ibility will depend upon the author’s ability 
to show their true natures, their strengths 
and their weaknesses. If only one side of a 
character is presented, or one trait over- 
emphasized, the result is apt to be stereo- 
typed and wooden. Too frequently, charac- 
ters in children’s books appear to be fashioned 
from standardized patterns. Like television’s 
soap operas and westerns, the good are so un- 
believably good and the bad so thoroughly 
bad that there is no mistaking their roles. 

n Paul Hazard, Books Children and Men. Boston: 
The Horn Book Company, 1944. pp. 42-44. 



18 - Meeting Books and Children 



These stories have plot, but their charac- 
terizations are not true to life. 

In addition to realism in characterization, 
there should be consistency in its portrayal. 
This consistency should not conform to a 
pattern but to the true nature of the charac- 
ter as the author has presented him. The 
characters should be depicted so that every- 
thing they do, think, and say will seem nat- 
ural and inevitable. They should act and 
speak in accordance with their age, culture, 
and educational background. This allows 
authors the freedom to use some slang and 
even poor grammar when the authentic 
speech of a person or region is necessary for 
true character portrayal. Smoky by Will 
James and Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski 
are two examples of books in which their 
authors have made judicious use of slang 
and colloquialisms. One would hardly ex- 
pect a cowboy or a Florida “Cracker” to 
speak perfect English. Grammatically correct 
speech would be inconsistent with their back- 
grounds. 

Another aspect of sound characterization 
is growth and development. Do the charac- 
ters change in the course of the story, or do 
they remain the undaunted and self-sufficient 
personalities that they were in the beginning 
of the tale? Not all characters will change, of 
course, but many are memorable for their 
personality development. It is easy for a ten- 


year-old girl to identify with the tomboy, 
Caddie Woodlawn, in her struggle against 
the inevitable demands of “becoming a 
lady.” Headstrong, self-centered, Jo of Little 
Women faced similar demands with a certain 
amount of bitterness and rebellion. The 
eventual triumph of her good humor and 
warm heart has endeared her to countless 
readers. Sharp in her book, Nkwala, has 
told a moving story of an Indian boy's growth 
towards manhood. Marguerite de Angeli has 
presented a vivid character study of Robin in 
her outstanding book, Door in the Wall . 
Robin, crippled son of a great lord, must 
learn to accept his infirmity and find his use- 
ful place in life. The development of his 
character is made clear as he solves these 
problems. In all these books and many more, 
the characters seem real and alive. To be 
truly human they must grow and change 
before the reader’s eyes. In keeping with life 
itself, that change is usually gradual and con- 
vincing, rather than mercurial and unreal- 
istic. 

Long after we have forgotten their stories, 
we can recall some of the personalities of 




Growth Patterns and Book Selection - 19 



children’s literature. We recognize them as 
they turn the corner of our memories and 
we are glad for their friendship. The line is 
long; it includes animals and people. It is 
hard to tell where it begins, and we are happy 
there is no end. We can distinguish Toad in 
a new motor car with his loyal friends, Mole 
and Ratty; there’s mischievous Kate and 
Jancsi on their horses; Mary Poppins flies by 
holding tightly to her large black umbrella 
with one hand and carrying her carpet bag 
in the other; Georgie hops by looking for 
“New Folks coming’’; Janey Larkin walks se- 
dately down the road holding her cherished 
Blue Willow plate; Beth, Jo, Amy, and Meg 
are there; and Mary, Colin, and Dickon are 
in their Secret Garden. If one looks closely 



he can see tiny Arietty, Pod, and Homily out 
for a Borrowers holiday; Stuart Little pad- 
dles his souvenir canoe along the drainage 
ditch, and a sea gull flies by carrying Peter 
Peabody Pepperell III on his back. School 
appears to be out, for here comes Henry 
Huggins and Ribsy followed by Beezus and 
Ramona; Homer Price walks by with his pet 
skunk; Nate Twitchell is walking Uncle 
Beezly, his Triceratops dinosaur; Lucinda 
rolls by on her roller skates, and Mrs. Piggle 
Wiggle rounds the corner with the entire sec- 
ond grade at her heels, heading for her up- 



side-down house with buried treasure in the 
backyard. There are many more in this pro- 
cession of real persons in children’s litera- 
ture. We know them well because their au- 
thors created them and blew the breath of 
life into each one of them. These characters 
came alive on the pages of their books and 
they live forever in our memories. 

Style The style of a book refers to the way 
the author has written it. Each author’s style 
is individual and unique. Good writing style 
is appropriate to the plot, subject, theme and 
characters of the story. The tastes of children 
place some demands upon the style of their 
books. Children tend to want action in their 
stories and prefer a style which has move- 


20 - Meeting Books and Children 

ment rather than description or contempla- 
tion. This does not mean that description is 
eliminated from children's books but sug- 
gests an economy of detail. Usually, children 
do not like a story told in the first person. 
This may be an unconscious rejection of too 
much introspection and description. Because 
time concepts are difficult for children to 
grasp, authors of juvenile literature avoid 
telescoping action or using flashbacks. The 
complexity of the plot varies with the age 
level of the child. Children prefer a style of 
clarity and simplicity. They are quick to 
recognize any condescension on the part of 
the author and reject those books which ap- 


Unity of format and content are illustrated by this 
title page, which suggests the illuminated manu- 
scripts of the medieval setting of the book. From The 
Door In the Wall written and illustrated by Mar- 
guerite de Angeli. Doubleday, 1947. 



BY MARGUERITE DE ANGELI 


pear to “talk down” to them. Adults respond 
to the cute, the clever, the slyly written and 
sarcastic; children do not. Finally, children 
(and some adults) demand conversation in 
their stories. They want the conversations to 
be natural and not stilted. They feel as Alice 
did when she looked into her sister's book 
and said, “What’s the use of a book without 
pictures or conversation?” Her disgust led her 
to follow the white rabbit down his hole. 

Many children’s books contain excellent 
prose. For sheer richness of language read 
McCloskey’s Time of Wonder or Grahame’s 
classic, Wind in the Willows. A. A. Milne in 
Winnie the Pooh, and E. B. White in Char- 
lotte's Web are master craftsmen in the art 
of writing dialogue. Johnny Tremain by 
Forbes and The House of Sixty Fathers by 
Dejong have well-constructed plots, suspense, 
quick climaxes and satisfying endings. Ex- 
cellence in writing can be recognized as eas- 
ily in children’s books as in those of adults. 

Format The format of a book may be an 
important factor in a child’s decision to read 
it. Books today are more attractive than ever 
before. A new point of view in art and tech- 
nical progress in printing and picture repro- 
duction have been combined to produce some 
startling results in book illustrating. Not only 
do we have beautiful picture books 22 for 
young children, but books for older boys and 
girls are becoming increasingly well-designed 
and attractive. While pictures are not essen- 
tial in books for older children, they may en- 
rich the interpretation of the story and 
should be carefully planned and integrated 
with the text. Garth Williams has captured 
real, human expressions on the faces of Wil- 
bur, a pig, and Templeton, a rat, in E. B. 
White's wonderful American fantasy, Char- 
lotte's Web. The rough line drawings of the 
individual animals and the barnyard scenes 
perfectly complement the humor, pathos, and 
homespun philosophy of the text. Beth and 
Joe Krush have made the miniature world of 

“Chapter III presents special criteria for evalu- 
ating picture books and discusses outstanding ex- 
amples. 



The Borrowers and The Borrowers Afield 
seem quite believable with their captivating 
illustrations. The black and white sketches 
are detailed and intricate. Frequently, Pod, 
Homily, and Arietty are almost camouflaged 
by leaves, curtains, or bric-a-brac. The artists 
have skillfully portrayed some of the perils 
and delights of being six inches high in our 
“normal” sized world. Mary Norton has writ- 
ten a charming, humorous fantasy; the illus- 
trations have given it an added dimension of 
enchantment. The total format of Marguerite 
de Angeli’s Door in the Wall complements 
the medieval background of this beautifully 
written piece of historical fiction. Her many 
black and white pictures realistically portray 
the castle, churches, and people of that pe- 
riod. Three illustrations are as rich in color 
and detail as an original illuminated manu- 
script. The design ol the title and dedication 
pages remind the reader that fine books can 
be works of artistic as well as literary merit. 

There are factors other than illustrations 
which need to be considered in the total for- 
mat of the book. Typography is very impor- 
tant. The type should be large enough for 
easy reading by the age level for which it was 
intended. At the same time, if the type is too 
large children will consider the book, “baby- 
ish.” The space between the lines (leading) 
should be sufficient to make the text clear. 
The margins should be simple, usually larger 
at the bottom than the top. The quality of 
the paper must be considered. A cream tinted 
dull-finished paper is most desirable. It 
should be thick enough to prevent any pen- 
etration of ink. The binding should be dur- 
able and practical, one which can withstand 
the use of many interested, but frequently 
grimy, hands. For library and classroom use 
books which are bound in cloth, side sewn, 
with soil-resistant washable covers are rec- 
ommended. A book should never be selected 
on the basis of format alone without an ac- 
companying evaluation of its content. No 
book is better than its text. 

Additional considerations for book selection 
When teachers, librarians, and parents are 


Growth Patterns and Book Selection - 21 

in the process of evaluating and selecting 
books, they will want to focus their attention 
upon additional considerations. They should 
compare the new book with other books writ- 
ten by the same author. Too frequently, 
books are ordered upon the basis of the au- 
thor’s past reputation, rather than for their 
inherent worth. Past performance is no guar- 
antee of continued excellence. The book 
should be compared with other books on the 
same subject. Is this just another horse story 
or does it make a distinctive contribution? 
Many modern informational and biograph- 
ical series are written by different authors. 
The quality of the book will vary with the 
ability of the writer despite similarity in ap- 
proach and format. Rather than condemning 
or approving an entire series each book 
should be evaluated on its own merits. Fi- 
nally, teachers and librarians will have to es- 
timate the appeal of this particular book. 
Will it be enjoyed by many children, or does 
it have a more limited appeal? All libraries 
should include some books which will have 
only special attraction for certain children. 
However, consideration will have to be given 
to the place of each book within the total 
collection. 

In summary, the basic considerations for 
the evaluation of fiction for children are a 
well-constructed plot, worthwhile content, a 
significant theme, convincing characteriza- 
tions, appropriate style, and attractive for- 
mat. The following list of questions will help 
the reader evaluate a book more objectively. 
Not all the questions will be appropriate for 
all books. Few books will meet all these cri- 
teria. The elusive factor of personal prefer- 
ence of both adults and children should be 
respected. 

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING CHILDREN’S 
FICTION 

Plot 

• Does the book tell a good story? 

• Does the plot have action and suspense? 

• Is it plausible and credible? 

• Is the plot well-constructed? 



22 - Meeting Books and Children 


Content 

• Is the story worth telling? 

• Is its content appropriate for children? 

• How might the content fit into the 

curriculum? 

• Do truth and justice prevail in the end? 
Theme 

• What is the theme? 

• Is the theme worth imparting to young 

people? 

• Is it a natural part of the story? 

• Does it avoid moralizing? 

• What developmental values are 

illustrated? 

Characterization 

• Are the characters convincing and 

credible? 

• Do we see their strengths and weaknesses? 

• Does the author avoid stereotyping? 

• Is there any character development or 

growth? 

Style 

• Is the style appropriate to the subject of 

the book? 

• Does it present the story with clarity and 

simplicity? 

• Is the dialogue natural and suited to the 

characters? 

• Is there richness of expression? 

• Is the book well-written? 

Format 

• Is the appearance of the book attractive? 

• Do the illustrations enhance the story? 

• Is the print clear and appropriate to the 

age level? 

• Is the paper of good quality? 

• Does the book have a durable binding? 

Other Considerations 

• How does this book compare with other 

books on the same subject? 

• How does it compare with other books 

written by the same author? 


• How does it compare with other books 

in the same series? 

• For what level of maturity is it designed? 

• Does it have a wide range of appeal or 

will only a few children be interested 
in it? 

• How does this book fit into your total 

collection of books? Does it fulfill a 
special need? 

The Classics in Children's Literature 

Since children’s reading is necessarily con- 
fined by the limits of childhood, should not 
all children be exposed to the so-called “clas- 
sics” of children’s literature? Many of the 
trials and tribulations of book selection would 
be eliminated if there were a list of “Great 
Books for Children” which had endured from 
one generation to another. Alice Jordan, in 
a reprint of an article written for The Horn 
Book , 23 states: “Until a book has weathered 
at least one generation and is accepted in the 
next, it can hardly be given the rank of a 
classic . . Many books and poems have 
achieved an honored position among the best 
of children’s literature through a combina- 
tion of adult adoration, parent perpetuation, 
and teacher requirements. Most adults re- 
member with nostalgia the books they read 
as children. They tend to think that what 
they read was best, and ignore the possibility 
of the production of any better books. It is 
easy to forget that every “classic” was once a 
new book; that some of today’s new books 
will be the classics of tomorrow. Times have 
changed, but adults seem unaware of the 
change in children's reading interests. Teach- 
ers and librarians should begin with the mod- 
ern child and his interests, not his parents’ 
interests when they were children. Today's 
space-minded child may actually travel to 
the moon. He lives in a fast-moving world 
where fantastic discoveries are commonplace. 
He is to be forgiven if he finds Rip Van 
Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 
slightly less than intriguing. 

28 Alice M. Jordan, Children's Classics. Boston: The 
Horn Book Company, 1947. p. 4. 



Growth Patterns and Book Selection - 23 


Certain books became classics when there 
were very few books from which children 
could choose. In fact, many classics were 
not children’s books at all, but were written 
for adults. In their desire to read, children 
claimed these adult books, struggled through 
the difficult parts, and disregarded that which 
they did not understand. They had no other 
choice. Today’s child is not so persevering be- 
cause he sees no reason for it. The beginning 
of Robinson Crusoe presents difficult vocab- 
ulary and sentence structure. In fact, the in- 
troductory sentence runs the length of the 
entire first page. Defoe wrote this story in 
1719 for adult readers, but children quickly 
discovered its excitement and plunged into 
it. Children still enjoy this wonderful story 
of shipwreck and adventure. However, they 
enjoy it more if it is read to them. For inde- 
pendent reading, they can find the same 
tingling excitement and more readable prose 
in Sperry’s Call It Courage or Steele’s Winter 
Danger. 

The classics should not be freed from eval- 
uation by virtue of their past veneration. 
They should be able to compete favorably 
with modern day books. Children are not im- 
pressed with vintage or lineage. They seldom 
read a book because they think they should. 
Few children would join a “Great Books’’ 
club unless the books really interested them. 
They read more for enjoyment than edifica- 
tion. Some books have been kept alive from 
one generation to the next by their common 
consent; these are the true classics of chil- 
dren’s literature. No teacher or parent has 
to cajole a child into reading them. They are 
books which can hold their own amidst the 
ever increasing number of new and beautiful 
books of today. 

What is the continuing hold of these well- 
loved books of the contemporary child? First 
and foremost, they are magnificent stories. 
There is adventure and suspense in T reasure 
Island, Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Rob- 
inson, Tom Sawyer, and Huckleberry Finn . 
There is mystery and excitement in Hans 
Brinker or the Silver Skates and The Secret 


Garden. The characterization in most of the 
classics is outstanding. There is very little 
plot in the story of Little Women, but what 
reader can forget the March sisters? They 
could have been your next-door neighbors; 
they seem so real. This is also true of Tom 
and Aunt Polly and Huck. The animal per- 
sonalities of Christopher Robin’s stuffed toys 
are unmistakable. Even adults have known a 
Bear of Little Brain and a Gloomy Eeyore! 

The appeal of many of the classics is based 
upon the type of story which they represent. 
Family chronicles such as Little Women and 
Heidi give the reader a feeling of warmth 
and security. A feeling of place and atmos- 
phere is also developed in these well-loved 
stories. Animal stories are represented by 
Black Beauty, The Jungle Book, and Bambi . 
Black Beauty is a sentimental story filled with 
short esasys on the prevention of cruelty to 
animals. The theme was timely in 1877 when 
Anna Sewell wrote this story. However, the 
genuine emotion in Black Beauty appears to 
be timeless, for it remains a favorite despite 
its Victorian airs. Boys and girls still love 
the beautifully written story of Mowgli who 
was adopted by the wolf pack when he was 
a baby and taught the law of the jungle by 
Bagheera, the panther, and Baloo, the bear. 
Other favorites in Kipling’s Jungle Book in- 
clude “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”, the story of a 
mongoose, and “Toomai of the Elephants.” 
Most children respond favorably to Felix 
Salten’s sensitively written, if somewhat sen- 
timental, life story of Bambi, a deer of the 
Danube forest. 

Many classics are fantasies. Children’s re- 
actions to fantasy are frequently controver- 
sial; they seem to thoroughly enjoy or com- 
pletely reject them. These reactions may be 
equally characteristic of adult readers. For 
some people, Alice in Wonderland, Peter 
Pan, Wind in the Willows and Winnie the 
Pooh have never been surpassed in the field 
of children’s literature. Others actively dis- 
like them. Many readers do not “discover” 
these books until they are adults, and then 
they applaud them as excellent fare for chil- 




Shepard’s pen-and-ink drawings capture the joy and 
companionship of Mole and Ratty on a picnic by 
their beloved river. From Wind in the Willows by 
Kenneth Grahame. Illustrated by E. H. Shepard. 
Scribner, 1933, 1953. 

drenl True classics appeal to both children 
and adults. As one father reported: “I’ve 
learned one important thing in three years. 
It’s possible to read to a young child with- 
out boring either child or parent. I think 
parent’s boredom is just as important as the 
child’s.” 24 

Some cautions need to be observed to de- 
velop children’s understanding and apprecia- 
tion for the classics. It should be remembered 
that the so-called classics are not fare for all 
children and frequently appeal to the ex- 
ceptional child. Many classics are more thor- 
oughly appreciated if they are read aloud 
and shared with an adult rather than read 
by the child alone. It is important that tim- 
ing be considered if children are to enjoy 

“Edward Eager, “A Father’s Minority Report” re- 
printed in A Horn Book Sampler. Boston: The Horn 
Book Company, 1959. p. 166. 

24 


these books. Frequently the classics are in- 
troduced before children are ready for them; 
the eight-year-old is not ready for Treasure 
Island by Stevenson. There is a readiness in 
appreciation which needs to be developed, 
too. Before reading Wind in the Willows, in- 
troduce children to Lawson's Rabbit Hill. 
Modern boys need to meet Cleary’s Henry 
Huggins , Butterworth’s Nate Twitchell, and 
McCloskey’s Homer Price before they are 
ready for T om Sawyer. Young readers should 
be introduced to Mary Poppins by Travers, 
The Borrowers by Norton, and Charlotte's 
Web by White before meeting the complex 
Alice in Wonderland. Re-read the “wonder- 
ful books we read as children” to see if they 
really were that wonderful! Many disillusion- 
ments may follow, but children may be re- 
lieved from boring hours of reading or listen- 
ing. Finally, the practice of compelling them 
to read certain books should be questioned. 
The prime purpose of children’s literature 
is recreation. This purpose is not served by 
forced feeding. Boys and girls should enjoy 
reading; they should be exposed to fine writ- 
ing and illustrating during these formative 
years. These qualities may be found in both 
the “old books” and the new. Today there 
are some 12,500 juvenile books in print; we 
have no right to confine children's reading 
to a list of so-called classics. 

Children’s Book Awards 

Guides for book selection are needed to find 
the best among the multitude of books. 
Teachers and librarians will find it helpful to 
be familiar with books which have won 
awards. 25 These awards have been estab- 
lished for various purposes and provide cri- 
teria for what experts consider to be the 
best in children's literature. Such awards 
have helped to counteract the judgment of 
the market place by focusing attention upon 
beautiful and worthwhile books. In the age 
of mass production they have stimulated art- 
ists, authors, and publishers to produce books 

26 A list of the various children’s book awards, 
criteria, conditions, and winners is given in Appendix 
A. 




Growth Patterns and Book Selection - 25 


of distinction. They have helped children’s 
literature achieve a worthy status of its own. 

Occasionally, one hears the criticism that 
the award books are not popular with chil- 
dren. This is true of some of the award books. 
However, the awards (with one or two re- 
cent exceptions which are determined by 
children’s votes) have not been based upon 
popularity but upon recognized excellence. 
Their purpose is to honor fine writing and 
illustrating for boys and girls. They were 
never intended to rubber stamp the tastes 
of children, but to raise them. That this is 
a legitimate and worthwhile function of the 
awards is emphasized by Julia Sauer writing 
in The Horn Book magazine: 

Lately there has been much emphasis on chil- 
dren’s reaction to children’s books. Awards are 
being made on the basis of a book's popularity 
with children. Obviously, it would be absurd to 
say that any children’s book is a good children’s 
book if no child reads it. But it is equally absurd 
to say that the best children's books are necessarily 
those which are most popular with the children. A 
child’s enthusiasm for a particular title does not 
give it literary distinction. If that were true we 
might as well make our awards to the comics and 
call it a day. 26 

Children’s reactions to books are significant, 
but it is important to remember that they 
are not the final test of distinction. Likewise, 
adult praise of a book is no assurance of chil- 
dren’s praise. 

NEWBERY AND CALDECOTT AWARDS 

The two most coveted awards in children’s 
literature are the Newbery and Caldecott 
Awards, determined every year by a com- 
mittee of twenty-two members of the Amer- 
ican Library Association. A candidate for 
either of the awards must be a citizen or 
resident of the United States. The book must 
have been first published in the United 
States. 

The Newbery Award is the oldest award 
for children’s books having been established 
in 1922. It is named for John Newbery, a 

** Julia Sauer, “So Close to the Gulls,” The Horn 
Book 25: 359-400, September, 1949. 


British publisher and bookseller of the eight- 
eenth century. Appropriately called the 
“father of children’s literature,” he was the 
first to conceive of the idea of publishing 
books expressly for children. The Newbery 
Medal is awarded to the author of the most 
distinguished contribution to American lit- 
erature for children published the preceding 
year. 

The Caldecott Medal is named in honor 
of the great English illustrator of the nine- 
teenth century, Randolph Caldecott. Calde- 
cott was well known for his gay picture books 
depicting the country life of England. The 
Caldecott Medal was established in 1938 and 
is awarded to the most distinguished Amer- 
ican picture book for children chosen from 
those first published in the United States 
during the previous year. The text should 
be worthy of the illustrations but the award 
is made primarily for the art work. 

The donor of both medals is Frederick G. 
Melcher, co-founder of Children’s Book Week 
with Franklin K. Mathiews, and editor of 
Publishers ’ Weekly. It was Mr. Melcher who 
originated the idea for these children’s book 
awards, suggested the appropriate titles, and 
sponsored them. 

Students of children’s literature would do 
well to acquaint themselves with the winning 
books and their authors and illustrators. It 
is interesting to review the runners-up 27 for 
these awards. As you compare the winners 
with the runners-up, would you have made 
the same selection as the committee? In 1939, 
the Newbery Award was made to Thimble 
Summer , a story which has limited appeal 
for girls only. However, a runner-up for that 
year was the still popular and dearly loved 
Mr. Popper’s Penguins . Likewise, the highly 
praised Charlotte’s Web was a runner-up in 
1953 to the winner, The Secret of the Andes, 
a beautifully written and sensitive story 
which, unfortunately, is not popular. It is 
interesting to see the number of times a par- 
ticular author has been nominated and still 
has failed to win. Books by Laura Ingalls 

27 A list of the runners-up for both the Newbery 
and Caldecott Medals is included in Appendix A. 



26 - Meeting Books and Children 

Wilder were runners-up for five different 
years, but never received the award. Final 
restitution has been made, perhaps, by the 
establishment of the Laura Ingalls Wilder 
Award which serves a different purpose. 
Since the selection for the Newbery Award 
must be limited to books published that year, 
the quality of the Award books varies, for 
certain years produce a richer harvest than 
others. The selection in 1936 must have been 
very difficult to make. How could one choose 
among Caddie Woodlawn, Honk the Moose, 
and The Good Master? It must have been 
equally difficult in 1957 to make a choice 
among Old Yeller, The House of Sixty Fa- 
thers, Mr. Justice Holmes, and Miracles on 
Maple Hill. By and large, the years have 
shown the choices to have been wise ones. 
There is a nice balance between those books 
especially enjoyed by boys and those enjoyed 
by girls; many age ranges are represented. 
Some of the Newbery books are difficult to 
read, but so are the earlier classics. Fre- 
quently these books have to be read aloud 
and savored with an adult before children 
develop a taste for their excellence. 

There has been less controversy over the 
choices for the Caldecott Award. The list 
again shows variety as to type of art work, 
media used, age appeal, and subject matter. 
The range of art work includes the realistic 
paintings of Berta and Elmer Hader in The 
Big Snow, the child-like, primitive work of 
Leo Politi, the bright modern design of Will 
and Nicolas, the delicate pictures of Marcia 
Brown’s Cinderella, and the stylized work of 
Roger Duvoisin. Four of the Caldecott Medal 
books are illustrated in black and white, one 
in sepia, and seventeen are in two or more 
colors. The most popular of these books are 
Ward's The Biggest Bear and Madeline's Res- 
cue by Bemelmans. McCloskey has won the 
Caldecott Award twice; once for Make Way 
for Ducklings and again for Time of Wonder. 
Joseph Krumgold is the only author to have 
won the Newbery Award twice; Robert Law- 
son is the only person who has won both the 
Newbery and Caldecott Award. 

Recent years have brought the establish- 


ment of other awards for children’s books. 
Considering the tremendous growth in the 
field of children’s literature since the New- 
bery Award was first established in 1922, it 
seems right and quite necessary to increase 
the recognition of fine books. Many of the 
awards serve a special function or interest 
and do not duplicate the Caldecott or New- 
bery Awards. 

SPRING BOOK FESTIVAL AWARDS 

The Spring Book Festival Awards were es- 
tablished in 1937 by the New York Herald 
Tribune. 2 * The purpose of these awards is 
to help achieve a balance in the publishing 
of new books between the fall and the spring. 
Many new books were formerly published 
during the fall of the year, and then there 
was a dearth of new books until the next fall. 
These awards carry a cash prize and are given 
annually to the best books for children pub- 
lished during the first half of the year. Four 
Honor Books are chosen in each of three 
age-levels; older boys and girls, children 8-12, 
and the picture book group. Two judges are 
chosen each year for each of the three age 
levels. 

GRAPHIC ARTS RECOGNITION 

The only award which considers art work 
and the total format of a book is that given 
by the American Institute of Graphic Arts. 29 
Each year a jury selects the Fifty Books of the 
Year for excellence of design and manufac- 
ture in bookmaking. Among the fifty books 
chosen from the entire range of publishing 
in 1959, twelve were trade books for children. 
Periodically, this same Institute appoints a 
jury to select up to one hundred books for a 
Children’s Book Show. These are judged on 
design, typography, manufacture, and con- 
cept. The literary content is considered only 
insofar as the design and typography convey 
the spirit of the book. The selection of these 
honorary books and the establishment of the 
children's shows serve to emphasize the im- 
portance of the total design of a book. 

98 See complete list in Appendix A. 

"See Appendix A for further information. 




Two Caldecott winners by Robert McCloskey. From Make Way for Ducklings , Viking, 
1941, and Time of W r onder, Viking, 1957, both written and illustrated by Robert McClos- 
key. © 1941, 1957 Robert McCloskey. 


SPECIALIZED AWARDS 

Special awards are given to the best books of 
a certain type of theme. In 1943 the Child 
Study Association began to give an annual 
honorary award for a young people's book 
which deals realistically with problems in 
their contemporary world. The committee 
attempts to choose a book which is con- 
vincing and realistic in its approach, but 
avoids the preachy tone of didactic literature. 
Some of the selections have been for high- 
school students. However, the list of winners 
includes Bishop’s Twenty and Ten, Yashi- 
ma’s Crow Boy, Sorensen’s Plain Girl and De 
Jong’s The House of Sixty Fathers. The Jane 
Addams Children’s Book Award is presented 
each year by the Women’s International 
League for Peace and Freedom. The purpose 


of the award is to encourage publication of 
books for children which are of literary 
merit and contain constructive themes which 
contribute to the development of wholesome 
social values. The Aurianne Award is given 
annually by the Children’s Services Division 
of the American Library Association for the 
best children’s book which develops a hu- 
mane attitude towards animal life. It can be 
fiction or nonfiction. This award was first 
given in 1958 to Jean and John George for 
Dipper of Copper Creek. 

Four awards, initiated in 1955, are pre- 
sented to children’s works by the Thomas 
Alva Edison Foundation, Inc. These awards 
are presented annually, carry cash prizes, and 
an honorary scroll. They are awarded to the 
“Best Children’s Science Book,’’ “The Best 

27 


28 - Meeting Books and Children 

Science Book for Youth,” “For Special Ex- 
cellence in Portraying America's Past," and 
“For Special Excellence in Contributing to 
the Character Development of Children." 

Two awards which have recently been es- 
tablished honor an author or illustrator for 
a substantial and lasting contribution to chil- 
dren's literature. The Laura Ingalls Wilder 
Award was established in 1954 by the Chil- 
dren's Services Division of the American Li- 
brary Association and was presented first to 
Laura Ingalls Wilder, herself, for her “Little 
House" books. This award makes no require- 
ment concerning the number of books which 
must be produced, but a body of work is im- 
plied and the books must be published in 
the United States. The award was presented 
posthumously to Clara Ingram Judson in 
1960. Awarded every five years it gives worthy 
recognition to devoted and excellent service 
to children's literature. In 1959, the Catholic 
Library Association established a somewhat 
similar award to be presented for a “lifetime 
dedication to the highest standards of litera- 
ture for children.” The Regina Medal “is not 
limited to one creed, nor one country, nor to 
one criterion, other than excellence.” It may 
be given to writers, illustrators, editors and 
others who have given unstintingly of their 
creative genius to the field. Eleanor Far jeon, 
an English author and poet, was the first re- 
cipient of the award. In 1960 Anne Carroll 
Moore received the award for her “pioneer 
work for children in public libraries and her 
influence upon children’s literature.” 

An attempt to recognize and honor those 
books which have the qualities of “modern 
classics” is the purpose of the Lewis Carroll 
Shelf Awards. These awards are given by the 
University of Wisconsin School of Education 
to those books “worthy to sit on the shelf 
with Alice in Wonderland ” A University 
committee selected sixteen books in 1958, the 
first year of the award. Twelve titles were 
chosen for the 1959 winners. 

AWARDS DETERMINED BY CHILDREN 

There is a growing number of book awards 
which recognize children's choices as the 


basis for their selection. Most of these awards 
are made on a state or regional basis. The 
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award is given an- 
nually to the book which is the most popular 
with boys and girls in grades four through 
eight in the Vermont schools. The winner 
of the William Allen White Award is chosen 
by the vote of the Kansas school children in 
grades four through seven. The children of 
Oklahoma determine the winner of the Se- 
quoyah Children's Book Award. The book 
which is found to be the most popular with 
the children from the states of Idaho, Mon- 
tana, Oregon, Washington, and the Province 
of British Columbia receives the Pacific 
Northwest Young Reader’s Choice Award. 
Since 1947 the Boys’ Clubs of America have 
presented Junior Book Award Medals to five 
or more books published in the past year 
which received the highest recommendations 
from club members throughout the country. 
The purpose of all of these is to encourage 
children to read widely and more selectively. 
Usually the choices are made from a large 
master list which has eliminated undesirable 
books. The actual process of reading and 
sharing in the selection of these winners 
serves the worthwhile function of increasing 
interest in reading for boys and girls. 

PUBLISHER'S AWARDS 

Some publishers give awards which carry 
large cash prizes for manuscripts or books for 
children. These awards stimulate interest in 
children’s literature among established au- 
thors and help to discover new writers. The 
Charles W. Follett Award, the Franklin Watts 
Fiction Award, and the Dodd, Mead and 
Company prizes are examples of this type. 

FOREIGN BOOK AWARDS 

The United States appears to have been the 
pioneer in initiating children’s book awards. 
The Newbery Medal was established in 1922. 
In 1936 England began the presentation of 
the Carnegie Medal for the outstanding book 
for children written by a British author and 
published in England. Except for a few lapses 
during World War II, this award has been 



Growth Patterns and Book Selection - 29 


made annually. It was not until 1957 that 
the Library Association of England estab- 
lished the Kate Greenway Medal for the 
most distinguished illustrated book for chil- 
dren published in Great Britain. This award 
corresponds to our Caldecott Medal. Canada 
gives two awards for children's books; the 
Book of the Year Medal chosen by the Cana- 
dian Association of Children’s Librarians, 
and the National Governor-General's Award. 
The Canadian and British awards are impor- 
tant to know, since these books are usually 
available in the United States. 

Other European countries have begun to 
establish awards which are very similar to 
our Newbery and Caldecott awards. Many 
also recognize the format and typography of 
the best books of the year. A brief listing of 
the awards given by thirteen countries is in- 
cluded in Appendix A. 

The Hans Christian Andersen Prize was 
established in 1956 as the first international 
children’s book award. It is given every two 
years to a book of fiction by the International 
Board on Books for Young People. A com- 
mittee of five, each from a different country, 
judges the selections recommended by the 
board or library association in each country. 
The first award was made in 1956 to Eleanor 
Farjeon’s The Little Book Room. In 1958 the 
prize winning book was Rasmus Pa Luffen 
(Rasmus and the Vagabond) by the Swedish 
author Astrid Lindgren, who is best known 
in this country for her Pippi Longstocking 
books. The winner in 1960 was Erich Kastner, 
a German author, who received the award for 
his complete work for children. 

No one but the most interested follower of 
children’s literature would want to remem- 
ber all the awards which are given for chil- 
dren's books. Like the coveted “Oscars” of 
the motion picture industry, and the “Em- 
mys” of television, the awards in children’s 
literature focus attention not only upon the 
winners of the year but also upon the entire 
field of endeavor. They recognize and honor 
the best and also point the way to improved 
writing, illustrating, and producing of worth- 
while and attractive books for boys and girls. 


Book Selection Aids 

REFERENCE BOOKS 

Anyone interested in children's literature 
should have a reading acquaintance of the 
books which have endured from one genera- 
tion to another; he will also want to know 
those modem books which have been singled 
out for certain meritorious recognition either 
by adults or children. It is further imperative 
that he maintain familiarity with the flood 
of newly published books. This would be an 
almost impossible task were it not for the 
number of fine books, book lists, and periodi- 
cals which aid in the selection of good books 
for children. An annotated list of these ref- 
erences is given in Appendix B. 

Among the particularly helpful tools for 
selecting books for boys and girls is the Chil- 
dren's Catalog published by the H. W. Wil- 
son Company. This volume lists children's 
books alphabetically by title, author, subject 
matter, and kind. The books are well anno- 
tated and include an estimate of age or grade 
level suitability. The single-starred books 
are recommended, the double-starred books 
highly recommended. Teachers, parents, or 
librarians attempting to fulfill a child's re- 
quest about recent books on “space,” for ex- 
ample, may use the Children's Catalog to ob- 
tain titles appropriate to his reading level. 
Two other helpful reference books are Eloise 
Rue’s Subject Index to Books for Interme- 
diate Grades and the Subject Index to Books 
for Primary Grades. The latter is very much 
out of date but the American Library Asso- 
ciation has a new edition in preparation. 
Compiled by Mary K. Eakin and Elinor Mer- 
ritt it will retain the same title. The advan- 
tage of these volumes is that they list refer- 
ences to trade books and also include refer- 
ences to texts and readers. The teacher is 
given a comprehensive listing for each sub- 
ject area with an indication of reading age. 
Two indispensable tools for obtaining infor- 
mation about poetry are the Brewtons’ Index 
to Poetry and the Subject Index to Poetry for 
Children and Young People compiled by a 
committee of the American Library Associa- 



30 - Meeting Books and Children 

tion. The Brewtons’ volume indexes some 
15,000 poems by title, subject, author, and 
first line. It was published in 1942 but in- 
cludes a 1956 supplement. The subject index 
of the American Library Association was pub- 
lished in 1957 and indexes some 157 poetry 
collections under appropriate subject head- 
ings. Meubah Hazen is the editor of a Sub- 
ject Index to Children's Magazines published 
monthly except for June and July. 

BOOKS AND BOOK LISTS 

Many books about children’s literature in- 
clude comprehensive book lists. Phyllis Fen- 
ner’s love and enthusiasm for children’s books 
is captured in her delightful book, The Proof 
of the Pudding, What Children Read . She 
tells what children like to read and suggests 
ways to encourage more reading. Larrick’s 
book A Parent's Guide to Children's Reading 
presents many practical suggestions for cor- 
relating children’s interests with reading. A 
useful annotated bibliography is included. 
In A Teacher's Guide to Children's Reading, 
Larrick suggests books for different grade 
levels. Frank’s Your Child's Reading Today 
is addressed to parents. Each section includes 
a discussion of children’s needs and interests 
and a selected, briefly annotated book list. 

The major emphasis of both Anne Thax- 
ter Eaton’s Treasure for the Taking and 
Mary K. Eakin’s Good Books for Children is 
placed upon comprehensive and well-anno- 
tated entries. For this reason they are excel- 
lent handbooks for teachers, parents and li- 
brarians. Treasure for the Taking gives a 
synopsis of each story, classifies it by subject, 
and suggests the appropriate age level. Mary 
K. Eakin selected the best of the books that 
had been reviewed in the Bulletin of the Cen- 
ter for Children's Books from 1948 to 1957 
and incorporated them in her Good Books 
for Children. A thousand titles were chosen, 
annotated, and appraised. Each book is listed 
by title, grade, and age level in a subject clas- 
sification. 

Two specialized but most useful books are 
Tooze and Krone’s Literature and Music as 


Resources for Social Studies and Leonard S. 
Kenworthy’s Introducing Children to the 
World. The first book combines references 
to both books and music as means of enrich- 
ing the social studies curriculum. There are 
references to history of our country and to 
the many countries of the world. Kenworthy’s 
book suggests adult references as well as chil- 
dren’s. Free and inexpensive materials and 
audio-visual aids are also included besides 
many excellent annotated bibliographies. 

Many general and specialized book lists 
are available. A small, extremely well se- 
lected list is included in the booklet, Chil- 
dren's Books Too Good to Miss by Arbuth- 
not. This was revised in 1959 and reviews over 
200 of the finest children's books. A center 
section of illustrations selected from the work 
of well-known children’s book artists helps 
the teacher or librarian. The accompanying 
text appraises the work and singles out the 
distinctive style of each illustrator. A sub- 
committee of the American Library Associa- 
tion has compiled A Basic Book Collection 
for Elementary Grades which includes some 
1000 titles selected by more than twenty au- 
thorities in children's literature. This list is 
classified by subject, annotated, and has an 
index of authors, titles and subjects. 

Two comprehensive book lists are Ad ven- 
turing with Books published by the National 
Council of Teachers of English and A Bibli- 
ography of Books for Children published by 
the Association for Childhood Education In- 
ternational. Both of these lists include over 
1,500 titles and are revised frequently. They 
are classified, annotated, and age levels are 
suggested. Prices are listed and the dates of 
publication are given. They are well-indexed 
and cross references are included. Another 
comprehensive listing is to be found in the 
annual catalog of inprint juveniles entitled 
Best Books for Children . The 1960 edition 
includes some 3,300 titles which have been 
carefully selected by experts in the field of 
juvenile literature. The entries are specially 
annotated to show whether they have been 
recommended by the American Library As- 



Growth Patterns and Book Selection - 31 


sociation, Children's Catalog , Library Jour- 
nal, etc. This list is compiled and annotated 
in the offices of the Library Journal. 

Bibliographies for books of the current 
year are also available. The Child Study As- 
sociation of America issues an inexpensive 
annual list of books entitled Books of the 
Year for Children. It includes titles for chil- 
dren from age five through thirteen. Books 
of outstanding quality are starred; one group- 
ing of books for easy reading is identified. 
A booklet called Recommended Children's 
Books of 1959-60 contains over 1,100 reviews 
reprinted in full from the Junior Libraries 
section of the Library Journal. Exceptional 
books are starred. Entries are arranged by 
grade and subject. There is a complete au- 
thor-title index. This booklet is compiled 
each year. 

Many specialized book lists can be ex- 
tremely helpful. 30 There are bibliographies 
of children's books on Alaska, Asia, Latin 
America, and other countries. There are also 
special lists for books which are concerned 
with establishing better human relations, ra- 
cial and religious understanding. One well- 
known booklet in this area is Reading Lad- 
ders for Human Relations compiled by Mar- 
garet Heaton and Helen B. Lewis for the 
American Council on Education. The cen- 
tral idea behind this booklet was the belief 
that “the printed page could be used to teach 
attitudes as well as facts — and to teach in the 
process of entertaining.” The “Reading Lad- 
ders” are grouped around problem areas such 
as patterns of family life, economic differ- 
ences, growing-up, experiences of acceptance 
and rejection, and others. Four age levels are 
represented under each “ladder.” A small in- 
expensive bibliography, is one entitled Books 
Are Bridges published cooperatively by the 
American Friends Service Committee and the 
Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith. The 
entries are annotated, graded, classified, and 
priced. Titles are included which help chil- 
dren “cross bridges” of understanding. 

"See Appendix B. 


BOOK REVIEWS IN PERIODICALS AND 
NEWSPAPERS 

Certain periodicals will prove invaluable for 
the person who wants to keep up with the 
new books as they are published. An impor- 
tant and up-to-date book-reviewing periodi- 
cal is the American Library Association's 
Booklist and Subscription Books Bulletin . 
The special section on children's books in 
this semimonthly publication will be very 
useful to teachers and librarians. The Horn 
Book Magazine is concerned exclusively with 
literature for children and young people. 
Published six times a year, it reviews current 
books for children and includes many illus- 
trations from them. Frequently there are fea- 
ture articles about authors and illustrators 
of children’s books. Junior Libraries appears 
as a special section of the Library Journal but 
separate subscriptions may be obtained. It is 
issued monthly from September to May and 
includes many appraisals of new children's 
books. This journal includes short articles 
about children’s literature. The Bulletin of 
the Center for Children's Books is published 
monthly, except for August, by the Univer- 
sity of Chicago Press. It includes well-written, 
complete reviews of new titles for children 
and young people. It is almost unique in that 
it includes reviews of books which it does not 
recommend. 

Many professional magazines print a 
monthly column on new books for children. 
Elementary English, published by the Na- 
tional Council of Teachers of English has 
such a section in addition to feature articles 
on children's interests in reading, authors, il- 
lustrators, and special books. Childhood Ed- 
ucation, a professional magazine published 
by the Association for Childhood Education 
International, also carries a regular monthly 
section devoted to children's book reviews. 

Both the New York Herald Tribune and 
the New York Times publish a page of re- 
views of children's books in their Sunday 
book section. Special children's book issues 
appear in the spring and fall in these and 



32 - Meeting Books and Children 

other city newspapers to commemorate Book 
Week and American Library Week. 

Publishers print announcements of their 
new titles as soon as they are ready. One can 
easily ask to have his name placed on their 
mailing lists to receive these notices. State, 
county, and even local libraries frequently 
print special lists of children's books. These 
may help teachers to know what children's 
books are in the public library. 

There is no shortage of tools for the selec- 
tion of books. Faithful and consistent read- 
ing of one of the publications which reviews 
books for children will lead the interested 
person to those titles which he will want to 
read and appraise for himself. The experts 
cannot give a complete presentation of any 
book in a six-line review. They can only help 
the teacher decide if this is a book he would 
like to consider. Book selection aids should 
help eliminate the number of books which 
most librarians and teachers must read, but 
they do not eliminate reading. Whether it is 
for a seven-year-old or a seventy-year-old, 
there is no substitute for the personal read- 
ing of a book you recommend. 

SUMMARY 

Children are individuals in their own right 
with unique needs, interests, and capacities. 
Studies have revealed similarity of growth 
patterns for different ages and stages. All 
children of the same age are not at the same 
stage on this developmental continuum, but 
most children will pass through these stages 
in their ascent to maturity. Teachers inter- 
ested in promoting reading will see that the 
“right book for the right child" frequently 
depends upon the “right time” in a child's 
development. They will also consider the im- 
portance of the learning environment and 
the demands of our culture in presenting 
particular tasks to children at certain stages 
of their development. 

It is imperative that adults, who are inter- 
ested in promoting life-time reading habits 
among children, not only know and under- 


stand children but that they know children's 
literature. The recent flood of children's 
books makes it necessary to determine what 
constitutes a good book for boys and girls. 
Using such criteria as established in the pre- 
ceding chapter, teachers should evaluate 
books for plot, content, theme, characteriza- 
tion, style, and format. Classics and the award 
books are not always the best books for chil- 
dren. Teachers, parents, and librarians will 
find various book selection aids most useful 
in keeping informed about the many new 
books for children. Adults need to capitalize 
upon their knowledge and understanding of 
child development and see its implications 
for selection and use of children's literature. 


SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 

1. Assume you are Chuck’s teacher in the 
opening anecdote. What suggestions 
would you give to Chuck's mother? 
What books would you recommend for 
Chuck's reading? 

2. If possible, interview one child concern- 
ing his reading habits, likes, and dis- 
likes. Also interview one of his parents 
to determine the reading environment in 
the home. What relationships can you 
identify? 

3. If you can meet with a class of children, 
ask them to submit names of their favor- 
ite ten books. How do their choices re- 
flect their particular age and stage of 
development? 

4. Can you think of any one book which 
you read and re-read as a child? What 
particular qualities of the story appealed 
to you? Re-read it and evaluate it ac- 
cording to the criteria established in this 
chapter. Would you still recommend it 
for children? 

5. List and discuss some children’s books 
which you believe show personality 
growth on the part of the characters. 

6. Read one of the series books, the Bobb- 
sey Twins, The Hardy Boys, The Sue 
Barton, or Nancy Drew series. Analyze 



this book for plot, content, theme, char- 
acterization, style, and format. 

7. Review the winners and runners-up for 
the Newbery award or the Caldecott 
award for one year. Do you agree with 
the judges? Be prepared to state your 
reasons. 

8. Analyze the art work of the Caldecott 
winners as to style, media, color, and 
subject. 

9. Read several acceptance speeches of 
either the Caldecott or Newbery win- 
ners. How has the author’s or illustra- 
tor’s style been influenced by his con- 
cepts of childhood? 

10. If possible visit a printing shop or bind- 
ery. What can you learn about binding, 
typography, and general format? 

11. Examine five different book selection 
aids. List the kinds of information they 
give. Which ones would you recommend 
for teachers, parents, librarians? Are 
there any which children could use? 

RELATED READINGS 

1. Almy, Millie. Ways of Studying Children. New 

York: Bureau of Publications, Teachers Col- 
lege, Columbia University, 1959. 

Using materials from Cunningham and others 
the author presents many suggestions for col- 
lecting evidence for child study through ob- 
servation, discussion, interviews, and records. 
Chapter Five, “Study the Ways Children Ex- 
press Themselves,” is particularly related to 
use of literature in studying children. 

2. Arbuthnot, May Hill. Children and Books. Re- 

vised Edition. Chicago: Scott, Foresman, & 
Company, 1957. 

A comprehensive and detailed study of chil- 
dren and their books. Primarily a college text- 
book for children’s literature courses; it would 
also be valuable for parents. Includes an an- 
notated bibliography of books for each chapter 
with age grading. Chapter II discusses criteria 
for children’s books. 

3. Boyd, Gertrude. Understanding Children Through 

Informal Procedures. Laramie, Wyoming: Col- 
lege of Education, University of Wyoming, 
1957. 

A bulletin which describes rating scales, socio- 
metric techniques, and projective techniques 
which can be used by the classroom teacher. 


Growth Patterns and Book Selection - S3 

4. Crouch, Marcus, compiler. Chosen For Children. 

London: The Library Association, 1957. 

This is an account of the books which have 
been awarded the English Carnegie Medal 
from 1936 to 1957. A description of each book 
is followed by a brief biographical note on the 
author. It is illustrated by line drawings from 
the books and photographs of their authors. 
It is interesting to compare this book with our 
volume on Newbery Medal Books. 

5. Cunningham, Ruth. Understanding Group Be- 

havior of Boys and Girls. New York: Bureau 
of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia 
University, 1951. 

Descriptions of techniques used for deter- 
mining the social relationships within a class 
group are presented in this study. 

6. Fenner, Phyllis. The Proof of the Pudding , What 

Children Read. New York: John Day Co., 1957. 
Out of some thirty-two years’ experience, a 
librarian wiites with enthusiasm about the 
books children like to read and how to en- 
courage them to read more. Contains annotated 
lists of books in many fields. Chapter XV is 
entitled "My father says to get a classic.” 

7. Frank, Josette. Your Child's Reading Today. 

New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1954. 
An interesting account of children’s reading 
interests and choices. Gives helpful suggestions 
to parents for encouraging reading. Each chap- 
ter has an annotated list of books. Chapter X 
discusses children’s classics for today. 

8. Jenkins, Gladys Gardner, Helen Schacter, and 

William W. Bauer. These Are Your Children. 
Chicago: Scott, Foresman & Company, 1953. 
Development and characteristics of children 
from one to ten. Graphs, charts, and photo- 
graphs are very useful. 

9. Lane, Howard and Mary Beauchamp. Under- 

standing Human Dex>elopment. Englewood 
Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice- Hall, Inc., 1959. 

A very readable, informative book about the 
development of human behavior, this volume 
blends the findings of many disciplines. The 
chapters dealing with the Pre-School Years, 
Early Elementary Childhood, and The Middle 
years of childhood describe the physical, social, 
and mental thrusts of children during these 
stages of development. Section Three, How to 
Study Children and Youth, presents tools for 
studying groups and individuals. 

10. Lee, J. Murray and Dorris May Lee. The Child 
and His Development. New York: Appleton- 
Century-Crofts, Inc., 1958. 

Part I presents basic concepts in understanding 
the child. This is an excellent reference sum- 
marizing physical and mental development as 
well as the child’s social relationships and 



34 • Meeting Books and Children 

total personality development. Part II suggests 
ways of understanding individuals. Techniques 
to use in studying peer-group relationships, in 
observing and understanding behavior cues are 
especially valuable. 

11. Miller, Bertha Mahony and Elinor Whitney Field, 

editors. Caldecott Medal Books: 1938-1957. 
Horn Book Papers, Volume II. Boston: The 
Horn Book, Inc., 1957. 

This is a companion volume to the Newbery 
Medal Books. It contains the acceptance 
speeches of the artists, their biographies, and 
a brief format and book note for each winning 
book. There is a biographical sketch of Ran- 
dolph Caldecott and an interesting article by 
Esther Averill entitled “What Is a Picture 
Book?” A center signature includes one picture 
from each award book. Unfortunately, the 
limitation of black and white reproductions 
cannot convey the rich colors of many of the 
award winners. 

12. Miller, Bertha Mahony and Elinor Whitney Field, 

editors. Newbery Medal Books: 1922-1955. 
Horn Book Papers, Volume I. Boston: The 
Horn Book, Inc., 1955. 

This book presents a brief history of the New- 
bery Award and a biographical sketch of John 
Newbery. It includes a book note, excerpt from 
the book, biographical note and acceptance 
speech of each award winner from the incep- 
tion of the award. The winning books are 
presented in chronological arrangement. Some 
illustrations from the award books are in- 
cluded. 

15. Smith, Irene. A History of the Newbery and 
Caldecott Medals. New York: The Viking 
Press, Inc., 1957. 

The author reviews the events that led to the 
founding of the awards, describes the selection 
proceedings, appraises the winning books, and 
points out the far-reaching influence of the 
awards. Chapter IX is one of the most inter- 
esting — it discusses the popularity of the award 
books. 


CHAPTER REFERENCES 

Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women. Illustrated by 
J. W. Smith. Boston: Little, Brown 8c Company, 
1954. (first published 1867) . 

Aldis, Dorothy. All Together. Illustrated by Helen D. 
Jameson. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1952. 

Jane's Father. Illustrated by Mary Stevens. 

New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1954. 
Asbjomsen, Peter Christon. Three Billy Goats Gruff. 
Pictures by Marcia Brown. New York: Harcourt, 
Brace & Company, 1957. 


Atwater, Richard. Mr. Popper's Penguins. Illustrated 
by Richard Lawson. Boston: Little, Brown & 
Company, 1958. 

Barrie, Sir James Matthew. Peter Pan. Illustrated by 
Nora S. Unwin. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 
1950. (first published in 1911 as Peter and Wendy) . 
Beginning-To-Read Series. Chicago: Follett Publish- 
ing Company. 

Dorrel, Ramona. Too Many Dogs. 1959. 

Guilfoile, Elizabeth. Nobody Listens to Andrew. 

Illustrated by Mary Stevens. 1957. 

Hastings, Evelyn. Big New School. Illustrated by 
Polly Jackson. 1959. 

Hoff, Carol. The Four Friends. Illustrated by Jim 
Ponter. 1958. 

Judson, Clara Ingram. Christopher Columbus. 1959. 
King, Patricia. Mabel the Whale. Illustrated by 
Katherine Evans. 1958. 

Lattin, Anne. Peter's Policeman. Illustrated by 
Gertrude E. Espenscheid. 1958. 

Mclntire, Alta. The Beginning- to- Read Picture 
Dictionary. Illustrated by Janet LaSalle. 1959. 
Meeks, Esther. The Hill That Grew. Illustrated by 
Laszlo Roth. 1959. 

In John's Back Yard. Illustrated by Jessica 

Zemsky. 1957. 

Something New at the Zoo. Illustrated by 

Hazel Hoecker. 1957. 

Olds, Helen Diehl. Miss Hattie and the Monkey. 

Illustrated by Dorothy Marino. 1958. 

Romano and Georgiady. Gertie the Duck. Illus- 
trated by Dagmar Wilson. 1959. 

Vreeken, Elizabeth. The Boy Who Would Not Say 
His Name. Illustrated by Leonard Shortall. 1959. 
Beim, Jerrold. Trouble After School. Illustrated by 
Don Sibley. New York: Harcourt, Brace 8c Com- 
pany, 1957. 

Bemelmans, Ludwig, (author-illustrator) . Madeline's 
Rescue. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1955. 
Bishop, Claire Huchet. Twenty and Ten. Illustrated 
by William P£ne du Bois. New York: The Viking 
Press, Inc., 1952. 

Boston, Lucy M. Treasure of Green Knowe. Draw- 
ings by Peter Boston. New York. Harcourt, Brace 8c 
Company, 1958. 

Boylston, Helen Dore. Sue Barton . Boston: Little, 
Brown 8c Company, 1956. 

Brink, Carol Ryrie. Caddie Woodlawn. Illustrated by 
Kate Seredy. New York: The Macmillan Company, 
1956. 

Brooks, Walter R. The Freddy Series. Illustrated by 
Kurt Wiese. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 
Freddy and the Baseball Team from Mars. 1955. 
Freddy and the Bean Home News. 1945. 

Freddy and the Cowboy. 1950. 

Freddy the Detective. 1952. 

Freddy and the Dragon. 1958. 

Freddy and the Flying Saucer. 1957. 

Freddy Goes Camping. 1948. 



Brown, Marcia, (author-illustrator) . Cinderella. New 
York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1954. 

Brown, Margaret Wise. Goodnight Moon. Pictures by 
Clement Hurd. New York: Harper Sc Brothers, 
1947. 

The Runaway Bunny. Pictures by Clement 

Hurd. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1942. 

Buck, Pearl S. The Big Wave. Illustrated with prints 
by Hiroshige and Hokusai. New York: John Day, 
Co., 1948. 

Buckley, Helen E. Grandfather and I. Illustrated by 
Paul Galdone. New York: Lot hr op, Lee and 
Shepard Co., Inc., 1959. 

Bulla, Clyde R. Squanto, Friend of the White Men. 
Illustrated by Peter Burchard. New York: Thomas 
Y. Crowell Company, 1954. 

Surprise for a Cowboy. Illustrated by Grace 

Pauli. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 
1950. 

Sword in the Tree. Illustrated by Paul 

Galdone. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 
1956. 

Burnett, Frances Hodgson. The Secret Garden. Illus- 
trated by Nora S. Unwin. Philadelphia: J. B. Lip- 
pincott Company, 1949. (first published 1910) . 

Burton, Virginia Lee (author-illustrator) . Mike Mul- 
ligan and His Steam Shovel. Boston: Houghton 
Mifflin Company, 1939. 

Butterworth, Oliver. The Enormous Egg. Illustrated 
by Louis Darling. Boston: Little, Brown & Com- 
pany, 1956. 

Cameron, Eleanor. The Terrible Chumadryne. Illus- 
trated by Beth and Joe Krush. (Atlantic Monthly 
Press) Boston: Little, Brown, & Company, 1959. 

Carroll, Lewis, pseud. (Charles L. Dodgson) . Alice 3 s 
Adventures in Wonderland. Illustrated by John 
Tenniel. New York: The Macmillan Company 
(New Children’s Classics) , 1950. (first published 
1865) . 

Chandler, Edna Walker. Cowboy Sam and the Rodeo. 
Pictures by Jack Merryweather. Chicago: Beckley- 
Cardy, Co., 1951. 

Clark, Ann Nolan. The Secret of the Andes. Illus- 
trated by Jean Chariot. New York: The Viking 
Press, Inc., 1952. 

Cleary, Beverly. Henry Huggins. Illustrated by Louis 
Darling. New York: William Morrow & Company, 
Inc., 1950. 

Conklin, Gladys. 7 Like Caterpillars. Pictures by 
Barbara Latham. New York: Holiday House, 1958. 

Cormack, Maribelle B. The First Book of Stones. Pic- 
tures by M. K. Scott. New York: Franklin Watts, 
Inc., 1950. 

Daugherty, James H. (author-illustrator) . Andy and 
the Lion . New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1938. 

DeAngeli, Marguerite (author-illustrator) . Door in 
the Wall. New York: Doubleday Sc Company, Inc., 
1949. 

Defoe, Daniel. The Life and Adventures of Robinson 


Growth Patterns and Book Selection -• 35 

Crusoe. Illustrated by Roger Duvoisin. Cleveland: 
World Publishing Co. (Rainbow Classics), 1948. 
(first published 1719) . 

Dejong, Meindert. The House of Sixty Fathers. Illus- 
trated by Maurice Sendak. New York: Harper Sc 
Brothers, 1956. 

De Regniers, Beatrice Schenk. A Little House of Your 
Own. Drawings by Irene Haas. New York: Har- 
court, Brace Sc Company, 1955. 

Dixon, Franklin W. The Hardy Boys. New York: 
Grosset Sc Dunlap, Inc. 

Dodge, Mary Mapes. Hans Brinker, or The Silver 
Skates. Illustrated by George W. Edwards. New 
York: Charles Scribner’s Sons (Scribner Illustrated 
Classics) , 1959. (first published 1865) . 

Du Bois, William P6ne (author-illustrator) . Twenty- 
One Balloons. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 
1947. 

Duvoisin, Roger A. (author-illustrator) . Petunia. 

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1950. 

Earle, Olive L. (author-illustrator) . Crickets. New 
York: William Morrow & Company, Inc., 1956. 
Edmonds, Walter D. Two Log Crossing. Pictures by 
Tiber Gergely. New York: Dodd, Mead, & Com- 
pany, 1943. 

Enright, Elizabeth (author-illustrator) . Thimble 
Summer. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 
Inc., 1938. 

Estes, Eleanor R. The Hundred Dresses. Illustrated 
by Louis Slobodkin. New York: Harcourt, Brace Sc 
Company, 1944. 

Farjeon, Eleanor. The Little Book Room. Illustrated 
by Edward Ardizzone. New York: Henry Z. Walck, 
Inc., 1956. 

Farley, Walter. The Black Stallion Series. New York: 
Random House, Inc. 

The Black Stallion. Illustrated by Keith Ward. 
1941. 

The Black Stallion and Satan. Illustrated by Milton 
Menasco. 1949. 

The Black Stallion Mystery. Illustrated by Mai 
Singer. 1957. 

The Black Stallion Returns. Illustrated by Harold 
Eldridge. 1951. 

Felt, Sue (author-illustrator) . Rosa-Too-Little. New 
York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1950. 

Flack, Marjorie (author-illustrator) . Angus and the 
Ducks. New York: Doubleday Sc Company, Inc., 
1931. 

The New Pet. New York: Doubleday Sc Com- 
pany, Inc., 1943. 

Wait for William. Pictures by Marjorie Flack 

and Richard A. Holberg. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin 
Company, 1935. 

Forbes, Esther. Johnny Tremain. Illustrated by Lynd 
Ward. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1943. 
Francoise. pseud. (Francoise Seignobosc) (author- 
illustrator) . Things I Like. New York: Charles 
Scribner’s Sons, 1960. 



36 - Meeting Books and Children 

Friedman, Frieda. Carol from the Country. Illustrated 
by Mary Barton. New York: William Morrow & 
Company, Inc., 1950. 

Fritz, Jean. The Cabin Faced West. Illustrated by 
Feodor Rojankovsky. New York: Coward- McCann, 
Inc., 1958. 

GAg, Wanda (author-illustrator) . Millions of Cats. 

New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1928. 

Garfield, James B. Follow My Leader. Illustrated by 
Robert Greiner. New York: The Viking Press, 1957. 
Gates, Doris. Blue Willow. Illustrated by Paul Lantz. 

New York: The Viking Press, 1948. 

George, Jean and John (authors-illustrators) . Dipper 
of Copper Creek. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 
Inc., 1956. 

Gipson, Frederick B. Old Yeller. Illustrated by Carl 
Burger. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1956. 
Grahame, Kenneth. Wind in the Willows. Illustrated 
by Arthur Rackham. New York: Heritage Press, 
1944. (first published 1908) . 

Gramatky, Hardie (author-illustrator) . Little Toot . 

New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1958. 

Gunther, John, et al, Meet South Africa. Illustrated 
by Grisha. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1958. 
Hader, Berta and Elmer (authors-illustrators) . The 
Big Snow. New York: The Macmillan Company, 
1948. 

Hayes, Florence. Skid. Illustrated by Elton C. Fax. 

Boston: Houghton, Mifflin Company, 1948. 
Heinlein, Robert A. Tunnel in the Sky. New York: 

Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1955. 

Henry, Marguerite. Misty of Chincoteague. Illus- 
trated by Wesley Dennis. Skokie, Illinois: Rand 
McNally & Company, 1947. 

Hope, Laura L. The Bobbsey Twins. New York: 

Grosset & Dunlap, Inc., 1910. 

I Can Read Series. New York: Harper & Brothers. 
Hoff, Syd (author-illustrator) . Danny and the 
Dinosaur. 1958. 

Julius. 1959. 

Sammy the Seal. 1959. 

Hurd, Edith T. Last One Home is a Green Pig. 

Illustrated by Clement Hurd. 1959. 

Minarik, Else Holmelund. Father Bear Comes 
Home. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak. 1959. 

Little Bear. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak. 

1957. 

No Fighting , No Biting! Illustrated by 

Maurice Sendak. 1958. 

Selsam, Millicent. Seeds and More Seeds. Illustrated 
by Tomi Ungerer. 1959. 

Stolz, Mary. Emmett's Pig. Illustrated by Garth 
Williams. 1959. 

Irving, Washington. Rip Van Winkle and the Legend 
of Sleepy Hollow. Illustrated by Maude and Miska 
Petersham. New York: The Macmillan Company 
(New Children's Classics), 1951. (First published 
1819 as part of Irving's Sketch Book.) 


James, Will (author-illustrator) . Smoky, the Cow- 
horse. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1926. 
Joslin, Sesyle. What Do You Say Dear? Pictures by 
Maurice Sendak. New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 
1958. 

Judson, Clara. Mr. Justice Holmes. Illustrated by 
Robert Todd. Chicago: Follett Publishing Com- 
pany, 1956. 

Kahl, Virginia (author-illustrator) . The Duchess 
Bakes a Cake. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 
1955. 

Keene, Carolyn. Nancy Drew. New York: Grosset & 
Dunlap, Inc. 

Kipling, Rudyard. The Jungle Book. Illustrated by 
Kurt Wiese. New York: Doubleday & Company, 
Inc., 1932. (first published 1894) . 

Krasilovsky, Phyllis. The Man Who Didn't Wash 
His Dishes. Illustrated by Barbara Cooney. New 
York: Doubleday 8c Company, Inc., 1950. 

Krauss, Ruth. The Growing Story. Illustrated by 
Phyllis Rowland. New York: Harper & Brothers, 
1947. 

A Very Special House. Illustrated by Maurice 

Sendak. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1953. 
Krumgold, Joseph. . . . and Now, Miguel. Illustrated 
by Jean Chariot. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell 
Company, 1953. 

Onion John. Illustrated by Symeon Shimin. 

New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company. 1959. 
Kunhardt, Dorothy. Pat the Bunny. New York: 
Golden Press, 1940. 

Lawson, Robert (author- illustrator) . Rabbit Hill. 
New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1956. 

Mr. Twigg's Mistake. Boston: Little, Brown & 

Company, 1947. 

Lef6vre, Felicite. pseud. (Margaret Smith -Masters) . 
The Cock, the Mouse , and the Little Red Hen. 
Illustrated by Tony Sarg. Philadelphia: Macrae 
Smith Company, 1945. 

Le Grand, pseud. (LeGrand Henderson) . (author- 
illustrator) . How Baseball Began in Brooklyn. 
Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1958. 
Lenski, Lois (author-illustrator) . Strawberry Girl. 

Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1945. 

Lindgren, Astrid. Pippi Longstocking. Illustrated by 
Louis S. Glanzman. New York: The Viking Press, 
Inc., 1950. 

Lovelace, Maud Hart. The Betsy -Tacy Series. New 
York: Thomas Y. Crowell. 

Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown. Illustrated by Lois 
Lenski. 1943. 

Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill. Illustrated 
by Lois Lenski. 1942. 

Betsy-Tacy. Illustrated by Lois Lenski. 1940. 

Betsy, Tacy and Tib. Illustrated by Lois Lenski. 
1941. 

Betsy's Wedding. Illustrated by Vera Neville. 1955. 
Heaven to Betsy. Illustrated by Vera Neville. 1945. 



Growth Patterns and Book Selection - 37 


McCloskey, Robert. (author-illustrator) . Homer 
Price. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1943. 

Make Way for Ducklings. New York: The 

Viking Press, Inc., 1941. 

One Morning in Maine. New York: The 

Viking Press, Inc., 1952. 

Time of Wonder. New York: The Viking 

Press, Inc., 1957. 

McClung, Robert M. (author-illustrator) . Sphinx. 
New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 
1949. 

MacDonald, Betty. Mrs. Ptggle Wiggle. Illustrated by 
Hilary Knight. (Rev. ed.) Philadelphia: J. B. Lip- 
pincott Co., 1957. 

MacDonald, Golden, pseud. (Margaret Wise Brown) . 
The Little Frightened Tiger. Illustrated by Leonard 
Weisgard. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 
1953. 

MacGregor, Ellen. Miss Pickerell Series. Illustrated 
by Paul Galdone. New York: McGraw-Hill Book 
Co. 

Miss Pickerell and the Geiger Counter. 1953. 

Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars. 1951. 

Miss Pickerell Goes to the Arctic. 1954. 

Miss Pickerell Goes Undersea. 1953. 

Marino, Dorothy (author-illustrator) . Where Are 
The Mothers? Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, Com- 
pany, 1959. 

Meader, Stephen W. River of the Wolves. Illustrated 
by Edward Shenton. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 8c 
Company, 1948. 

Milne, A. A. Winnie the Pooh. Illustrated by Ernest 
H. Shepard. New York: E. P. Dutton 8c Co., Inc., 
1926. 

Minarik, Else Holmelund. Little Bear. Illustrated by 
Maurice Sendak. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 
1957. 

Miner, Opal Irene. The True Book of Policemen and 
Firemen. Illustrated by Irene Miner and Mary 
Salem. Chicago: Childrens Press, Inc., 1954. 

Mirsky, Reba Paeff. Thirty-One Brothers and Sisters. 
Illustrated by W. T. Mars. Chicago: Follett Pub- 
lishing Company, 1952. 

Munari, Bruno. Who's There? Open the Door! Trans- 
lated by Maria Cimoni. Cleveland: World Pub- 
lishing Company, 1957. 

Newell, Hope. The Little Old Woman Who Used Her 
Head. Pictures by Margaret Ruse. New York: 
Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1935. 

Norton, Mary. The Borrowers. Illustrated by Beth 
and Joe Krush. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 8c Co., 
1953. 

The Borrowers Afield. Illustrated by Beth 

and Joe Krush. New York: Harcourt, Brace, & 
Company, 1955. 

Potter, Beatrix (author-illustrator) . The Tale of 
Peter Rabbit. New York: Frederick Warne 8c Com- 
pany, Inc., 1902. 


Rand, Ann and Paul. I Know a Lot of Things. New 
York: Harcourt, Brace, 8c Company, 1956. 

Rawlings, Marjorie K. The Yearling. Illustrated by 
N. C. Wyeth. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 

1939. 

Renick, Marion R. Nicky's Football Team. Illus- 
trated by Marian Honigman. New York: Charles 
Scribner’s Sons, 1951. 

Rey, Hans A. (author-illustrator) . Curious George 
Gets a Medal. New York: Houghton Mifflin Com- 
pany, 1957. 

Rojankovsky, Feodor (illustrator) . Tall Book of 
Nursery Tales. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 1944. 

Salten, Felix. Bambi: A Life in the Woods. New 
York: Grosset 8c Dunlap, Inc., 1926. 

Sauer, Julia Lina. Mike's House. Illustrated by Don 
Freeman. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1954. 

Sawyer, Ruth. Maggie Rose: Her Birthday Christmas. 
Pictures by Maurice Sendak. New York: Harper & 
Brothers, 1952. 

Seredy, Kate (author-illustrator) . The Good Master. 
New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1935. 

Seuss, Dr. pseud. (Theodor S. Geisel) (author- 
illustrator) . The Cat in the Hat. New York: 
Random House, Inc., 1957. 

The Cat in the Hat Comes Back. New York: 

Random House, Inc., 1958. 

Sewell, Anna. Black Beauty. Illustrated by Wesley 
Dennis. Cleveland: World Publishing Company 
('Rainbow Classics) , 1946 (First published 1877.) 

Shane, Ruth and Harold G. The New Baby. Illus- 
trated by Eloise Wilkin. New York: Simon 8c 
Schuster, Inc., 1948. 

Sharp, Edith Lambert. Nkwala. Illustrated by William 
Winter Boston: Little, Brown, 8c Co., 1958. 

Simon, Norma. The Daddy Days. Pictures by Abner 
Graboff. New York: Abelard-Schuman, Limited, 
1958. 

Sorensen, Virginia. Miracles on Maple Hill. Illus- 
trated b\ Beth and Joe Krush. New York: Har- 
court, Brace 8c Company, 1956. 

Plain Girl. Illustrated by Charles Heer. New 

York: Harcourt, Brace, 8c Company, 1955. 

Sperry, Armstrong (author-illustrator) . Call It 
Courage. New York: The Macmillan Company, 

1940. 

Spyri, Johanna. Heidi. Illustrated by Leonard Weis- 
gard. Cleveland: World Publishing Company 
(Rainbow Classics) . 1946. (First English transla- 
tion, 1884.) 

Steele, William O. The Lone Hunt. Illustrated by 
Paul Galdone. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 8c 
Company, 1956. 

Winter Danger. Illustrated by Paul Galdone. 

New York: Harcourt, Brace, 8c Company, 1954. 

Steiner, Charlotte (author-illustrator) . Lulu's Play 
School. New York: Doubleday 8c Company, Inc., 
1948. 



38 - Meeting Books and Children 

Sterling, Dorothy. Mary Jane. Illustrated by Ernest 
Cricklow. New York: Doubleday 8c Company, Inc., 
1959. 

Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island. Illustrated 
by N. C. Wyeth. New York: Charles Scribner's 
Sons, 1911. (First published 1883.) 

Stong, Phil. Honk, the Moose. Illustrated by Kurt 
Wiese. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1935. 

Temple, Shirley. Shirley Temple’s Storybook. Pre- 
pared under the editorial supervision of Josette 
Frank. New York: Random House, Inc., 1958. 

Travers, Pamela L. Mary Poppins. Illustrated by 
Mary Shepard. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 8c 
Company, 1934. 

Twain, Mark, pseud. (Samuel Clemens) . The Adven- 
tures of Tom Sawyer. Illustrated by Louis Slobod- 
an. Cleveland: World Publishing Company (Rain- 
bow Classics) , 1946. (First published 1871.) 

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Illus- 
trated by F. W. Kemble. New York: Harper 8c 
Brothers (Uniform Trade Edition) , 1927. (First 
published 1884.) 

Ward, Lynd (author-illustrator) . The Biggest Bear. 
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1952. 

Weisgard, Leonard (author-illustrator) . The Clean 
Pig. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1952. 

White, Elwyn Brooks. Charlotte’s Web. Illustrated by 
Garth Williams. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 
1952. 

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. The Little House in the Big 
Woods. Illustrated by Garth Williams. New York: 
Harper & Brothers, 1953. (First published 1932.) 


Will and Nicolas, pseud. (William Lipkind and 
Nicolas Mordvinoff) (authors-illustrators) . Finders 
Keepers. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 8c Company, 
1952. 

Woolley, Catherine. Ginnie and the New Girl . Illus- 
trated by Iris Beatty Johnson. New York: William 
Morrow & Company, Inc., 1954. 

Wyss, Johann David. Swiss Family Robinson. Illus- 
trated by Jeanne Edwards. Cleveland: World Pub- 
lishing Company (Rainbow Classics) , (First pub- 
lished 1813.) 

Yashima, Taro, pseud. (Jun Iwamatsu) (author- 
illustrator) . Crow Boy. New York: The Viking 
Press, Inc., 1955. 

Umbrella. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 

1958. 

Zim, Herbert S. Golden Hamsters. Illustrated by 
Herschel Wartik. New York: William Morrow 8c 
Company, Inc., 1951. 

Zion, Gene. The Plant Sitter. Pictures by Margaret 
Bloy Graham. New York: Harper & Brothers, 

1959. 

Zolotow, Charlotte. Big Brother. Pictures by Mary 
Chalmers. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1960. 

Do You Know What I’ll Do? Illustrated by 

Garth Williams. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 
1958. 

The Night When Mother Was Away. Pictures 

by Reisie Lonette. New York: Lothrop, Lee 8c 
Shepard Co., Inc., 1959. 

The Storm Book. Pictures by Margaret Bloy 

Graham. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1952. 




2 - Children’s Books of Today 9 
Yesterday . and Tomorrow 


“Boy, we had a good time/' Ken exclaimed 
as he bounced into the Dryden living room 
with eleven-year-old energy. “See the neat 
books I bought with my birthday money 
from Grandmother!" Ken opened the pack- 
ages to show his mother and father Onion 
John and The Moon: The Earth's Satellite . 

“Children today do have wonderful books 
compared to those in my time," said the 
eighty-two year old Aunt Marion. “Just look 
at this living room! No, I don't mean the 
mess, Elizabeth, I mean the books you and 
John read, the books the children own, and 
the books you bring from the library." 

The adults looked around the pleasant 
room with sudden awareness of the wide va- 
riety of reading material. Three-year-old 
Nancy had her new picture books from the 
library. Janey at seven had her own shelf of 
favorites and made independent trips to the 
neighborhood library. There were news mag- 


azines, women’s magazines, a journal about 
records and music, a gardening magazine, 
and two literary periodicals in addition to 
John Dry den’s professional journals. The 
book shelves contained old favorites and some 
ot the new novels, poetry, history, biography, 
and an encyclopedia for the children. 

“But this has always been a ‘reading' fam- 
ily," said Grandmother Dryden. "John and 
his brothers and sisters read a great deal 
when they were young — actually more than 
these children do because they didn’t have 
television." 

“But John’s children do read a great deal, 
I’ve noticed," Aunt Marion remarked. "The 
books are certainly wonderful, compared to 
the ones I had — and they're even much bet- 
ter than the literature you and Elizabeth had, 
John.” 

“What were some of your favorites, Aunt 
Marion?" Elizabeth asked. "What kinds of 


39 


40 - Meeting Books and Children 

books did you read when you were Janey 's 
and Ken’s age?” 

“They were certainly not attractive,” she 
reminisced. “Oh, there were a few black and 
white sketches, but little action — very sel- 
dom any color. I can recall Robinson Crusoe , 
Treasure Island, and Alice in Wonderland, 
of course. I loved Swiss Family Robinson 
when Father read it aloud. Then I read 
things my brothers liked, too — Hans Brinker, 
Tom Sawyer, Black Beauty ” 

“Why we are still reading some of those 
books!” exclaimed Ken. “What else did you 
have in the olden days, Aunt Marion?” 

She chuckled and went on, “I remember 
reading some of the ‘penny dreadfuls’ as 
they were called. Jack Harkaway had excit- 
ing adventures in those cheap books. Then 
there was the Five Little Pepper series — oh, 
yes, we had series books, too. And fantasy, 
I liked The Water Babies and the fairy tales 
by Grimm. Ken, we had a marvelous science 
fiction book, Twenty Thousand Leagues Un- 
der the Sea. Heidi and Little Women were 
favorites — you have them on your shelf, too.” 

“The wonderful part is that the good 
books of our days live on. But there are so 
many now,” added the older Mrs. Dryden. 
“John enjoyed the same Johnny Crow's Gar- 
den and Peter Rabbit which mother read to 
me, and now my grandchildren enjoy them.” 

“What did you like to read when you were 
a little girl. Grandma?” asked Janey. 

“Many of the books Aunt Marion named 
were my favorites, too,” she answered. “I 
liked The Secret Garden and The Wonderful 
Adventures of Nils . The Lucy Perkins’ Twins 
series about other lands were real favorites, 
too. Mother read Wind in the Willows aloud, 
and I loved it. And I liked the Wizard of Oz 


books, too. Then, we all looked forward to 
St. Nicholas magazine each month.” 

Her son, John, joined the conversation to 
inquire, “Mother, didn’t most of your books 
seem sentimental in contrast to books today? 
Wasn’t there still quite a lot of moralizing?” 

“Some of the stories did preach, John,” 
she answered, “But the ones I remember best 
were not of the Horatio Alger type your 
father enjoyed. Oh, I do recall a Dotty Dim- 
ple series that was really rather priggish. I 
think there was a wider variety in my child- 
hood than in Marion's even ten years earlier, 
but we had nothing to compare with the 
books your children have.” 

“I was just thinking how many you have 
mentioned were books I enjoyed, too, but I 
don’t feel I had nearly the opportunities to en- 
joy picture books,” Elizabeth added. “I loved 
Winnie the Pooh, Dr. Dolittle, and later there 
were the Little House Books. ‘My copies of 
Caddie Woodlawn and The Good Master are 
being saved for Janey. And I read series 
books, too, The Bobbsey Twins, for example. 
But I’m sure we didn’t have lovely picture 
books like these Nancy can enjoy before go- 
ing to school.” 

“And we didn’t have your exciting books 
of science, Ken,” said his father. “Let’s see 
that new book about the moon.” 

“I’ll read to you now, Nancy,” said Grand- 
mother Dryden — and the rest of the family 
turned to various interests. 

Through the eyes of one family it is easy 
to see the changing types of literature for 
children. In their discussion the Drydens had 
not recognized the influence on children’s 
literature of changing attitudes toward chil- 
dren and the results of evolutions in philos- 
ophy and concepts about the world. 


CHILDRENS BOOKS TODAY 


Big Business 

Today there is a literature for children which 
has never existed before in the history of 
mankind. Revolving racks in drugstores, su- 


permarkets, train depots, and airports dis- 
play brightly illustrated books designed to 
attract young readers. Mother selects a book 
as she piles groceries into the cart. Encyclo- 
pedias are next to frozen foods. Children clus- 



Literature experiences may be- 
gin in the grocery store. Photo- 
graphed by R. E. Peterson. 



ter in groups to devour comics. Following 
adult patterns, selections from childrens 
book-of-the-month clubs find their way into 
hundreds of homes. Children’s magazines ar- 
rive at the home each month. Thousands of 
children visit attractive rooms in public li- 
braries each week where trained librarians 
give them assistance. They seek information 
in many books; for no longer does one school 
text satisfy them. 

The publication and distribution of ju- 
venile books comprises a big business. In 
1958, total sales of all children’s books were 
over $54 million. Juvenile books retailing at 
over one dollar increased 54.5 percent from 
1954 to 1958, reaching forty million copies. 1 
Total sales of juveniles increased by 350 per- 
cent from 1949 to 1959.- The number of new 

1 Wyllis E. Wright, editor, American Library and 
Book Trade Annual for 1959. New York: R. R. 
Bowker Company, 1959. p. 44. 

2 Curtis M. Benjamin, “The Industry that Disdains 
Success,” Saturday Review 58:13-15,58, June 25, 1960. 


juveniles published yearly has more than 
tripled since 1920 when 410 new titles were 
listed. By 1950, there were 907 new titles 
lor children, and by 1958 publishers pre- 
sented 1,424 new books. 3 Today there are 
more than ninety children’s book editors. In 
1919 there was but one! Newspapers devote 
pages to reviews of children’s books. 

Juveniles form an important part of the 
publishing business. For example, two-thirds 
of the revenue of one firm publishing all 
types of books is derived from the sale of their 
juveniles. In several firms, profits from sale 
of juveniles subsidize the publication of more 
esoteric literature. Recently, firms which pub- 
lish children s trade books only have shown 
tremendous growth. 

In 1957 nearly one in three of all books 
published in the United States was a juvenile. 
Sales of successful adult novels tend to reach 

* American Library and Book Trade Annual, 1959, 
p. 45. 


41 


42 - Meeting Books and Children 

their peak in six months; sales of outstand- 
ing children’s books continue to maintain 
high levels. For example, Frances Hodgson 
Burnett’s The Secret Garden (1909), Mar- 
jorie Flack’s The Story About Ping (1933), 
E. B. White’s Charlotte's Web (1942) have 
steadily sold ten to twenty thousand copies 
a year. Five million copies of The Pokey Lit- 
tle Puppy were sold in fifteen years. 4 In 1959 
Warne sold 24,000 copies of The Tale of 
Peter Rabbit (1902) and 3600 copies of 
Johnny Crow's Garden (1903) . This firm 
also sold 3000 copies of Kate Greenway' s 
Birthday Book which was published in 1880. 5 

Circulation of library books has also in- 
creased as more books have become avail- 
able. For example, in 117 libraries in cities 
over fifty thousand the circulation increased 
4.2 percent from 1955 to 1956. 6 In 1939, one- 
third of the total library circulation was ju- 
venile; by 1956 the juvenile circulation ac- 
counted for one-half the total. 7 A survey of 
seventy three library systems reported in 1960 
also indicated increases in library circula- 
tion. For example, book borrowing doubled 
in one city in ten years, whereas its popula- 
tion increased only thirty percent. 8 

Better Quality and More Variety 

New developments in printing processes 
made possible the publication of more beau- 
tiful books. As fine, well-illustrated books 


received recognition, more talented writers 
and artists devoted their energies to the pro- 
duction of quality books for children. Un- 
fortunately, mass-production techniques have 
also increased the number of cheap, mediocre 
books. 

A visit to the juvenile book section of a 
large department store illustrates the wide 
variety of literature available for children 
today. On the shelves there are books of all 
sizes and shapes, from the diminutive Flora 
McFlimsey books to the elongated Alligator 
Tears to the oversized Golden Book of As- 
tronomy. Books of poetry, nonsense, history, 
science, biography and fiction are displayed. 
Illustrations have infinite variety — from Ta- 
sha Tudor’s quaint drawings to Alvin Tres- 
selt’s bright splashes of color, from Marcia 
Brown’s fairy-like Cinderella to the realistic 
photographs in Fun Around the World. 
There are books for adults to read to chil- 
dren, books for the beginning reader, and 
books for the skilled reader. From these 
pages, children can experience the near and 
the far, the exciting and amusing, the real 
and fantastic — a gamut of human experience. 
Children’s literature has come of age! In an 
era of science where life becomes more com- 
plex there must be time for enjoying this 
wide range of literature. Selecting books from 
the vast array now available becomes the 
challenging task of parents, teachers, and 
librarians. 


CHILDREN’S BOOKS YESTERDAY 


The elementary teacher can better appreciate 
the richness of children’s literature today by 
tracing the development of these varied types 
of books for children. Meigs wrote of the im- 

* Time 70:74-76, December 23, 1957. 

•“Currents,” Publishers Weekly 177:83, February 
19, 1960. 

e U. S. Office of Education, Statistics of Public 
Libraries , Circular No. 505, May, 1957. 

7 “Index of American Public Library Circulation,” 
American Library Association Bulletin 51:640, Sep- 
tember, 1957. 

•“Reading on the Rise,” Time 76:44, July 25, 1960. 


portance of knowledge of the development 
of literature: 

To be aware of the greatness of a literature is 
not always to understand it fully, since to have in- 
terest and regard for it does not imply entire 
knowledge of what it is and how it came to be. 
But if thinking people are to have any part in 
shaping the literature of the present and the fu- 
ture, they should have a fuller understanding of it 
as a whole and of its past. 9 

9 Cornelia Meigs, editor, A Critical History of Chil- 
dren's Literature. New York: The Macmillan Com- 
pany, 1953. p. 3. 



Children's Books of Today , Yesterday , and Tomorrow - 43 


The literature available for children re- 
flects the attitudes of society in that period. 
Books have always been viewed as instru- 
ments for transmitting the mores of the cul- 
ture and for inculcating attitudes and values. 
For example, Colonial children were treated 
as miniature adults, not as developing per- 
sonalities, important in their own right. 
When Joseph Downing published the first 
catalog of books for children and young peo- 
ple, The Young Christians Library (1710), 
he stressed the idea that the purpose of such 
books was to foster the health of the child’s 
soul. Children were admonished to avoid 
“books, ballades, songs, sonettes, and ditties 
of dalliance.” 

Today, as in the past, adults write the 
books; adults print the books; adults review 
the books; adult teachers and librarians and 
parents and gift givers review and select most 
of the books children read. Hazard says chil- 
dren defend themselves, “. . . when they 
have singled out a work that they like and 
have decided to take possession of it, nothing 
can make them change their minds ... It is 
that book there that they want, that very 
one and not its neighbor.” 10 Children are the 
final arbiters of books they will read, but 
Sloane reminds us that “It is impossible to 
determine precisely how much of the change 
that occurred in children’s literature was due 
to increasing sagacity of adults and how 
much was due to increasing demands of chil- 
dren.” 11 

As the didactic and dour changed to the 
fanciful and “precious,” and as adults be- 
came more aware of children’s demands for 
informational literature and adventure, the 
influence of society upon literature is evi- 
dent. The changing status of children is re- 
flected in the literature available to them. 
In addition, the changing attitudes, values, 
philosophies, and concepts of man and the 
universe are reflected in children's books. An 

10 Paul Hazard, Books Children and Men. Boston: 
The Horn Book, Inc., 1947. p. 51. 

11 William Sloane, Children's Books in England and 
America in the Seventeenth Century. New York: 
Kings Crown Press, 1955. p. 17. 


understanding of the growth of children’s lit- 
erature as part of a developing culture will 
enable the classroom teacher to better eval- 
uate children's books of today. 

Children’s Books: 

Seventeenth— Eighteenth Century 

BACKGROUND 

To that “stern and rock-bound coast” the 
early colonists brought old-world concepts 
and philosophies which would yield to new- 
world pressures and needs. Traditional Chris- 
tion theism held that children were born in 
sin, that eternal salvation could come only 
to the elect, and that eternal punishment 
would be meted out to the sinner. Voting 
rights and office-holding privileges were re- 
served for members of the church. Children 
were viewed as miniature adults who learned 
obedience to authority through fear. 

By the middle of the eighteenth century 
there was a shift from knowledge based upon 
religious sanctions to knowledge derived 
from human investigation. Newton, Bacon, 
Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo had chal- 
lenged the divine laws and authoritarian 
reasoning, and had shown the way toward a 
method of science. Apparent natural laws 
suggested the study of nature and human 
nature. Locke stated that human nature was 
at least partially the result of the environ- 
ment; Rousseau emphasized the natural un- 
folding of a child nature which he believed 
to be inherently good. 

Concurrently, an agrarian feudalism was 
changing to commercial capitalism. There 
was a growing middle class; the emphasis 
upon trade led to new educational needs. 
Some of the religious sects introduced social 
reform and emphasized teaching children 
through love. Colonial government had been 
based upon the view that only the few 
“godly” men should rule; the changing eight- 
eenth-century view held that government 
should be based on the natural rights of all 
men. 

By the end of the century the idea of in- 
dividual rights of the child was being recog- 
nized. Life was often uncomfortable and rig- 




Forerunner of cartoon style in a woodcut used to il- 
lustrate an early chapbook of Sir Richard Whitting- 
ton. From Illustrators of Children’s Books , 1744-1945. 
Horn Book, 1947. 

orous in this new land and there were few 
books for adults or children to relieve the 
drabness of living. A survey of the types of 
literature available for children in early 
America reveals the effect of attitudes toward 
children. 

BOOKS OF THE EARLY COLONISTS 

What books were packed in the chests which 
came across the Atlantic with the early colon- 
ists? The Bible was a treasured book of those 
who could afford to have one. Perhaps a copy 
of William Caxton’s 1497 book, The Book of 
Courtesye was owned by some colonists. This 
was a description of the typical day of the 
well-bred English child. Another book of 
manners was Youth's Behavior, translated 
from the French in 1636. Here one could read 
how to dress properly, how to walk, how to 
remove fleas tactfully, how to dispose of 
bones neatly, and other niceties of life. Prop- 
erties of Things printed by Wynken de 
Worde in 1495, gave the names of parts of 
the body, plants, mountains, and diseases. 
Caxton also printed Aesop's Fables in 1484, 


using many woodcuts. A 1582 edition of 
Aesop's Fables written in Latin, is described 
in the catalog, The Osborne Collection of 
Early Children's Books. 12 

Probably some of the colonists owned at 
least one of the bestiaries, animal tales which 
combined elements of fable and scripture. 
Topsel’s The History of Four-Footed Beasts 
(1658) is an example of these books about 
dragons, unicorns, and other strange crea- 
tures. The first picture book planned for 
children was written by Comenius in 1657. 
Perhaps a few colonists brought the 1658 
English translation of this book, Orbus Pictus 
with its woodcuts illustrating everyday ob- 
jects. 

Just before sailing, a colonist might have 
purchased a chapbook from a peddler. These 
were very small, inexpensive paper booklets 
sold by peddlers or chapmen. “A ballad of a 
most strange wedding of the froggee and the 
mouse" had been licensed in 1580. Samuel 
Pepys bequeathed several of these early chap- 
books to the Cambridge library. In this col- 
lection, published in the 1680's, may be found 
Tom Thumb , Guy of Warwick, and accounts 
of crimes and executions, descriptions of the 
art of making love, and riddles. The earliest 
known edition of Jack The Giant Killer 
seems to be one printed in 1711. Some of 
these chapbooks were brought to New Eng- 
land. 

The religious leaders could give approval 
to the moral and religious instruction in 
John Bunyan’s Pilgrim's Progress, first 
printed in 1678. No doubt children skipped 
the long theological dialogues as they found 
adventure by traveling with the clearly de- 
fined characters. Probably only a few chil- 
dren could read this book independently, but 
it became a significant part of literature for 
children. 

Early writers and educators often thought 
that words of wisdom and lectures instilling 
good manners and a righteous way of life 
could best be given children in verse form. 

12 Judith St. John, The Osborne Collection of Early 
Children’s Books 1566-1910. Toronto: Toronto Pub- 
lic Library, 1958. 


44 


Children's Books of Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow - 45 


Their recognition of the child’s delight in 
rhythm and rhyme was a step toward a lit- 
erature for children. Assuming that children 
would be interested in any rhyme, several 
poets wrote for children. This trend was ex- 
emplified by the eight pages of rhymed coup- 
lets describing the wares of the peddler-au- 
thor, Thomas Newbery, entitled, A Booke in 
Englyssh Metre, of the great Marchante Man 
called Dives Pragmaticus, very preaty for 
children to reade (1563) . John Bunyan gave 
emblematic lessons in his verses about every- 
day objects and nature, A Book for Boys and 
Girls or Country Rhymes for Children 
(1696) . The emblem books provided ex- 
amples of the good and dutiful life through 
symbols: 

This bee an Emblem truly is of Sin, 

Whose Sweet unto many a Death hath been. 


Facsimile frontispiece of the original manuscript of 
Perrault’s Tales of Mother Goose. Pierpont Morgan 
Library. 



A 1679 title reflects the purpose of such 
books, The Prodigal Son Sifted, or the lewd 
life and lamentable end of extravagant per- 
sons emblematically set forth, for a warning 
to unexperienced youth . 

MOTHER GOOSE 

There is reassurance in the knowledge that 
children who experienced the hardships of 
colonial life had access to the nonsense and 
gaiety of Mother Goose. 

The history of these verses has been ob- 
scured by legends, and not a particle of the 
original editions has remained for later study 
by historians because, in their eagerness to 
enjoy the verses, children reduced them to 
shreds. 

The Mother Goose verses apparently origi- 
nated in the spoken language of the common 
folk and royalty. It is believed that many of 
the verses were written as political satires or 
told of royal tragedy. Some have been traced 
into the pre-Christian era. “Pussycat, Pussy- 
cat,” for example, was based upon an inci- 
dent in Queen Elizabeth’s court. “Three 
Wise Men of Gotham” reflects stories of the 
foolish inhabitants of Gotham before the 
days of King John. Some writers hold the 
theory that “Jack and Jill” refers to the wax- 
ing and waning of the moon. Thomas 13 cites 
the account of a deed in the possession of a 
Horner family signed by Henry VIII which 
was a “plum” pulled out of the pie — the 
King's collection of deeds. However, other 
scholars 14 have found little evidence of these 
relationships. 

The name of Mother Goose was first asso- 
ciated with folk tales rather than the verses 
known today. In 1697 Charles Perrault pub- 
lished in France a collection of nursery tales 
which included “Cinderella,” “Red Riding 
Hood,” “Puss in Boots,” and “Sleeping 
Beauty.” The frontispiece of this book. His- 
tories Ou Contes du Temps passe, showed 
an old woman spinning and telling stories 
to children. The caption read, Contes de ma 

Katherine Elwes Thomas, The Real Personages 
of Mother Goose. New York: Lathrop, 1930. 

14 Iona and Peter Opie, The Oxford Nursery Rhyme 
Book. London: The Oxford University Press, 1952. 



46 - Meeting Books and Children 

Mere l'Oye, (Tales of Mother Goose). Ac- 
cording to French legend, Bertha, wife of 
Robert II of France was called goose-footed, 
and she was known to spin and to tell stories 
to childen; perhaps there was some relation- 
ship. These tales were brought to England 
and translated about 1729. 

While the Revolutionary War was in prog- 
ress, an American publisher, Isaiah Thomas, 
somehow obtained Newbery’s books for chil- 
dren. These smuggled books were reprinted 
with few changes; thus Mother Goose, Goody 
Two Shoes, and Robinson Crusoe became 
available for children of the new country. 
No copies of this 1785 edition of Mother 
Goose are now extant, but a reproduction by 
W. H. Whitmore was published in 1889. 

The legend that Dame Goose is buried in 
Boston is kept alive for tourists and children 
who visit the Boston burying ground, but it 
has created confusion regarding the origin 
of the verses. Even the publication of Songs 
for the Nursery ; or Mother Goose’s Melodies 
by the son-in-law of Dame Goose has become 
a legend. According to the story, Thomas 
Fleet tired of the good woman’s frequent ren- 
ditions of the ditties as she cared for his chil- 
dren, so he decided to collect and publish 
them. There has been no actual evidence of 
this 1719 edition. 

Rhymes from the collection of Isaiah 
Thomas as well as other verses printed for 
the first time were included in the Munro 
and Francis edition of Mother Goose pub- 
lished about 1827. 

FOLK TALES AND ADVENTURE 

Handed down by word of mouth for cen- 
turies, folk tales were among the first types of 
literature to be printed. It is difficult to find 
the point at which they were considered suit- 
able only for the young. In France, Charles 
Perrault recorded eight fairy tales for adults 
at court. Puss in Boots, Sleeping Beauty, Cin- 
derella, and Little Red Riding Hood were 
included. For the first time, tales were writ- 
ten down so children, too, could hear them 
over and over in exactly the same words. 

The Arabian Nights is another collection 


of old tales which came from India, Persia 
and North Africa. Galland published these 
tales in 1704 and it appears they were avail- 
able in English translation in 1712. Ridley 
also published a series of tales modeled after 
the Arabian Nights under the title, The 
Tales of the Genii, (1766) . 

In the first half of the seventeenth century 
stories of St. George, St. Patrick and other 
knights were roughly printed on 12" x 18" 
sheets. Also, small gilt books were popular 
with children and adults. For example, The 
History of Cajanus, The Swedish Giant, was 
printed in 1742 on x 214 sheets and 
bound in floral Dutch gilt boards. 

Defoe did not write his account of the 
eighteenth-century hero, Robinson Crusoe, 
for children, but they made his story part of 
their literature. The Life and Strange and 
Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe 
(1719) was later printed in an abridged and 
pocket-sized volume which became a “classic” 
of children’s literature. Gulliver’s Travels 
was a scathing satire of high society, yet 
young and old alike enjoyed this tale pub- 
lished in 1726. Perhaps children recognized 
themselves as dwarfs or giants. The forerun- 
ner of the modern superman may be identi- 
fied in the stories of Tommy Trip written by 
John Newbery in 1750. In one story. Tommy 
Trip, the size of Tom Thumb, challenges 
and defeats a giant who tormented a child. 

NEWBERY PUBLISHES FOR CHILDREN 

Although there was strong emphasis upon 
religious literature, it is apparent that the 
colonists and their children enjoyed the chap- 
books. These little books of sixteen, thirty- 
two or sixty-four pages were small, folded 
booklets which might be compared to mod- 
ern comics. Ballads about Guy of Warwick, 
Bevis of Southhampton, and Robin Hood 
brought adventure to drab lives. Although 
children took these books for their own, it 
was not until 1744 that John Newbery pub- 
lished a book especially designed for chil- 
dren. The title page notes, A Little Pretty 
Pocketbook, “Intended for the Instruction 
and Amusement of Little Master Tommy 



Children's Books of Today , Yesterday , and Tomorrow - 47 


and Pretty Miss Polly, with an agreeable 
Letter to read from Jack the Giant Killer, as 
also a Ball and a Pincushion, the use of which 
will infallibly make Tommy a good Boy, and 
Polly a good Girl." The advertisement in his 
shop, The Bible and Sun, said, "The books 
are to be given away, only the binding is to 
be paid for." For parents the book included 
Locke’s advice on children. 

No documentary evidence is available to 
determine whether John Newbery or Oliver 
Goldsmith wrote The History of Little 
Goody Two Shoes, published by Newbery in 
1766. In this story of righteousness, Margery 
Meanwell, turned out of her own home by a 
grasping villain, becomes a teacher who mor- 
alizes as she teaches children to read. Even- 
tually, she married a rich gentleman and car- 
ried on her good works. 

Newbery’s books emphasized love rather 
than the wrath and punishment of God. The 
gilt paper covers of his books were small and 
gay, but the moral lessons were still plain to 
the young readers who came to this first ju- 
venile bookstore operated by Newbery from 
1745 to 1767. 

INSTRUCTION 

With the invention of the horn book, English 
and Colonial children were able to handle 
their own books. A sheet of paper printed 
with the alphabet, vowels, the Lord’s prayer, 
and Roman numerals was fastened to a small 
board about 2 y 4 " by 5". The parchment was 
covered with transparent horn and bound 
with strips of brass. A hole in the handle made 
it possible for the child to carry it on a cord 
around his neck or waist. Colonial children 
learned to read from the Horn Book. The 
colonists marked out the "criscross row," for 
they did not approve the symbol of the cross 
which was often placed on the hornbook just 
preceding the alphabet. 

Shortly after the middle of the eighteenth 
century the battledore was developed. This 
consisted of a cardboard folded with three 
leaves. There were no religious teachings, 
but alphabets, numerals, easy reading lessons, 
and woodcuts of animals were included. 


I>- he hi ho 

ca ic ci co cu y 

da tie di do du j 


aeio 

«abcdef(;hi|ki mnopqSi 
jcRSTUVWXYZ 

aetou 1 aeiou >jfc r 
ab cb ib oh uh 

Igac ec tc oc tu. 

£?ad cd id od ud ( 

f in the Name of the Father and of the 

Son, tad of the Holy Ghoft. Amen . 

/^\UR Father, which art in 
L ^ Heaven, hallowed be thy 
$ Name; thy Kingdom come, thy 
^ Will be done on Earth, as it is in 
^Heaven. Give us this Day our 
^ daily Bread; and forgive us our 
{Trefpaffes, as we forgive them 
jthat trefpafs againft us ; And 
)lead us not into Temptation, but 
^deliver us from Evil. Amen. 




Facsimile of a colonial horn book. 


Probably these were the first books of pic- 
tures which could be handled by children 
themselves. Battledores were still being used 
in the nineteenth century. 

All children were expected to memorize 
John Cotton’s catechism, Spiritual Milk for 
Boston Babes in either England , drawn from 
the Breasts of both Testaments for their 
Souls nourishment . Originally published in 
England in 1646, it was revised for American 
children, and was the first book written and 
printed for children in America. Later books 
followed its question and answer approach 
with such questions as, “How did God make 
you?" The accompanying answer, “I was con- 
ceived in sin and born in iniquity" was mem- 
orized by the child. Even alphabet rhymes 


48 - Meeting Books and Children 



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nopqrstuv 
w x y z & 


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ABCDEFGHI 
JKLMNOPQ 
HSTU VW 
X Y Z 


ar. 


ac hedfgikkjlmon & 
iqrtwpuzvxy & af 

ADBECFG1HJLKMNPR I 
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ab eb ib ob ub 
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ba be bi bo bu 
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Facsimiles of cardboard battledores. 


for the youngest emphasized the sinful nature 
of man. For example, the New England 
Primer , first recorded in 1683, includes, “In 
Adam’s fall We sinned all.’’ The rhyming al- 
phabet did change with the times. For exam- 
ple, “The Judgment made Felix afraid’’ was 
used instead of “The idle Fool is whipt at 
school.” This primer also included a cate- 
chism, The Ten Commandments and verses 
about death. The 1781 edition included the 
prayer, “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.” Ap- 
proximately three million copies of this 
primer were sold. 

The alphabet and lists of syllables were 
published in Stephen Crisp’s book for chil- 
dren, A New Book for Children to Learn On. 
(1681) . Syllables were divided as follows: 


A So ber Child hath 
E-steem a-mongst the Wise. 

Early in the eighteenth century, James 
Janeway’s book A Token for Children, Being 
an Exact Account of the Conversion, Holy , 
and Exemplary Lives and Joyful Deaths of 
Several Young Children , was published in 
England. Before it was printed in America, 
Cotton Mather added life histories of New 
England children and their early deaths. 
Children were taught to describe their con- 
version, to practice secret prayer, to express 
duty to God and their neighbors. They were 
exhorted to search their hearts and ask 
“What is my corrupt nature?” 

In the latter half of the seventeenth cen- 





Children's Books of Today , Yesterday, and Tomorrow - 49 


tury informational books were published. 
One of the first geographies appeared in 
1665. The author, Henry Winstanly, consid- 
ered California a South Sea island and noted 
that Virginia lay directly south of New Eng- 
land, but his book titled All the Principal 
Nations of the World Presented in their 
Habits of Fashions of Dressing . . . was a mile- 
stone leading to modern travel and informa- 
tional books. 

In the first part of the eighteenth century, 
several “science” books were published. Isaac 
Watts presented The Knowledge of the Heav- 
ens and The Earth Made Easy, or the First 
Principles of Geography and Astronomy Ex- 
plained (1726). Ten years later, Thomas 
Breman introduced the idea that learning 
should be fun in his title, A Description of a 
Great Variety of Animals and Vegetables 
. . . especially for the Entertainment of 
Youth. In America, Isaiah Thomas reprinted 
books pirated from England, including Jack 
Dandy’ s Delight: or The Histoiy of Birds and 
Beasts, a juvenile natural history. John New- 
bery printed The Circle of the Sciences 
(1745) , Tommy Trip's History of Beasts and 
Birds (1779) , and Juvenile Rambles (1786) . 
Mrs. Sarah Trimmer, anxious to give chil- 
dren information in an interesting manner, 
wrote several books weaving information into 
converations. Her Fabulous Histories (1786) 
told of the Robin family who discussed na- 
ture in lengthy dialogues. At the same time, 
the family life of birds provided opportunity 
for many lessons of conduct. 

Religious history had been part of the fare 
for children before the eighteenth century — 
many read descriptions of the horrors in 
John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs written in 
1563. Nathaniel Crouch edited The Young 
Man's Calling, a collection of stories for 
youth which included engravings of behead- 
ings, burnings of martyrs, and information 
for proper behavior. The Apprentice's Com- 
panion, published in 1681, gave suggestions 
for diligent application to work. 

After the Revolution, several distinctly 
American histories appeared. In the 1795 
book, The History of America, six woodcuts 


were used over and over (the same woodcut 
was used for Christopher Columbus and Gen- 
eral Montgomery) . Cooper's History of 
America abridged for the Use of Children of 
All Denominations appeared in 1795. 

Textbooks for subject matter areas were in- 
troduced to the American schools near the 
end of the eighteenth century. Noah Web- 
ster’s Blue Backed Speller, Simplified and 
Standardized American Spelling, published 
in 1783, was used widely for spelling bees. 
Webster’s Third Part of the series, published 
in 1785, was the first secular reader. In 1789 
Jedediah Morse introduced the first Ameri- 
can geography with his American Univer- 
sal Geography. Nicholas Pike's Arithmetic 
(1793) and Root’s Introduction to Arith- 
metic (1796) were two of the first arithmetic 
texts. The influence of the rising commercial 
classes made such textbooks necessary. Con- 

Woodcuts illustrate an alphabet page in New Eng- 
land Primer. 

He that neer learns' his A, B, 
For ever will a Blockhead be 


J&L KpvUn 

-.SBuil 

C Cat 



JU 

DDog 1 


XEUh. 


JS^ 





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.Mm 





50 - Meeting Books and Children 

sequently these textbooks constituted a major 
portion of the literature for children during 
the period. 

DIDACTIC TALES 

In the last half of the eighteenth century, 
women writers entered the field of juvenile 
literature with the purpose of teaching 
through stories. Sarah Fielding wove stories 
around the development of character in girls 
in Mrs. Teachem’s School for Girls. Easy 
Lessons for Children, published in 1760 by 
Mrs. Barbaukl, presented lessons for chil- 
dren of different ages. Mrs. Sarah Trimmer 
apparently agreed with Locke who had ap- 
proved of using fables with children, for she 
created a family of robins who could talk of 
problems in day to day family life. Meigs 
quotes a sample of the conversation, “I am 
delighted, my dear children, with your hu- 
mane behavior toward the animal creation 
. . . but though it is a most commendable 
propensity, it requires regulation.” 15 (One 
wonders about reading vocabularies of these 
children in contrast to the “controlled vocab- 
ulary” now considered so important in read- 
ers for children.) 

As the eighteenth century drew to a close, 
the influence of Rousseau was felt in chil- 
dren’s literature. Following Rousseau’s theory 
of accompanying the child in his natural 
search for knowledge, parents, relatives, or 
teachers were always at hand to seize upon 
every comment made by a child or to call at- 
tention to objects of interest so that the inci- 
dent might be used as a means of instruction. 
Books were frequently written in this man- 
ner, containing dialogues and conversations. 
Instead of long lists of rules, the lessons were 
now concealed in didactic tales and juvenile 
biographies. Many parents wrote autobiog- 
raphies, or instructions to be read after the 
death of a parent. Christopher Wonderford’s 
Book of Instructions, (1777) was an example 
of one of these testimonies left for children. 

Thomas Day utilized the conversational 
approach in writing one of the didactic tales 
which appeared in three sections, (1783, 
35 Meigs, op. cit., p. 78. 


1786, and 1789). The History of Sandford 
and Merton tells of two six-year-old boys who 
were tutored together, although Harry was 
the son of a farmer. It was Harry who exem- 
plified the just and righteous for the spoiled 
Tommy Merton. Day after day, lecture after 
lecture, the tutor taught the boys in long les- 
sons which interrupted the narrative. These 
priggish children were models of behavior for 
nearly one hundred years. 

POETRY 

Poetry for children in this period also em- 
phasized religion and instruction. Although 
Isaac Watts spent most of his time writing 
hymns, he did devote some of his energy to 
writing poetry for children. Divine Songs At- 
tempted i n Easy Language for the use of 
Children (1715) made religious instruction 
more pleasant for children. 

Play was still seen as an occasion for mis- 
chief during which time children might come 
under the influence of Satan. In 1785 chil 
dren were told to use play as a time for intro- 
spection. The verses in A Present to Children 
suggested thoughts for play: 

Now on the Ice I shape the Slide, 

And smoothly O’er the Surface glide, 

I learn amidst the slipp’ry Play 
Most dangerous is the easiest way. 

About 1750 John Newbery set up his “ju- 
venile library” of small books with fine bind- 
ings and gilt edges. He printed Pretty Poems 
for Children Three Feet High and added the 
inscription, “To all those who are good this 
book is dedicated by their best friend.” 

An engraver and artist, William Blake, 
wrote poetry which children enjoyed, but the 
poems of Songs of Innocence, 1789, were not 
specifically written for children. For the first 
time, imagination and joy became important 
ingredients of literature for children. The 
poet made the reader aware of beauty with- 
out preaching. 

One artist emerged during this period as 
an illustrator of books for boys and girls. 
Thomas Bewick’s woodcuts for A Pretty 



Children’s Books of Today , Yesterday, and Tomorrow - 51 


Book of Pictures for Little Masters and 
Misses: or Tommy Trip's Histoiy of Beasts 
and Birds , (1767) were interesting and of ex- 
cellent workmanship. His son, John Bewick, 
also illustrated many books for children near 
the close of the eighteenth century. 

As this century terminated, children were 
reading stories mainly about how to live the 
good life. Information about the natural 
world was peddled in didactic lectures sugar- 
coated with a conversational style. Little 
prigs were models for young people to fol- 
low. But, nevertheless, there was now a litera- 
ture for children. Authors and publishers 
were aware of a new market for books. Par- 
ents and teachers were beginning to recog- 
nize the importance of literature for children. 

Children’s Literature: Nineteenth Century 

BACKGROUND 

The nineteenth century brought tremendous 
changes to America as it became a powerful 
nation. The Industrial Revolution, use of 
agricultural machinery, improved communi- 
cation and transportation through tele- 
graph, canals, railroads brought technological 
changes which influenced man’s values and 
attitudes. The Westward Movement in- 
creased emphasis upon individualism, and a 
growing nationalism emphasized freedom 
and enlightenment for all peoples. Education 
came to be viewed as a natural right for all 
children. With the influx ol immigrants, the 
school became the institution to mold new 
Americans. In science there was emphasis 
upon fact-finding and classified knowledge. 
The study of human behavior was beginning 
to be considered a science as Wundt, James, 
and G. Stanley Hall observed and recorded 
human behavior. This led to more emphasis 
on life in the present. With Darwin’s work in 
biological evolution and the findings of La- 
Place and other astronomers, the world and 
its life were increasingly viewed as products 
of natural forces. However, the basic school 
texts continued to reflect the view of God’s 
will influencing all of life. Transcendental- 
ism pushed even further the idea of non- 
sectarian religion; it was deemed possible to 


be a good citizen yet not a member of a re- 
ligious sect. 

In the last three decades of the century, 
teaching children through objects in nature 
was emphasized. Experimental schools were 
based upon the idea of the child as the center 
ol the school curriculum. The pragmatists, 
Peirce, James, and Dewey, near the end of the 
century asserted that knowledge arises out of 
experience and theories must be tested. 
Dewey’s new philosophy held that education 
was a social process; the child’s interests were 
significant and should be channeled; think- 
ing was viewed as problem solving. These 
ideas were in the growing stages; neither 
schools nor books had actually changed very 
much, but there was a wonderful, optimistic, 
expanding feeling — a young nation progress- 
ing. Art and music reflected classical tradi- 
tions. Realism in art was emphasized, al- 
though the Impressionists were beginning to 
create new styles of painting. 

These changes of the nineteenth century 
were slowly reflected in books for children. 
Libraries were established; the Sunday School 
Movement led to distribution of tracts and 
books. The didactic stories preaching good 
behavior continued to be of major impor- 
tance during this period, but books were 
written with a child audience in mind. The 
school curriculum was broadened to include 
natural science, history, geography, and citi- 
zenship training. Science and technology 
made it possible to write ol travel in far 
places. A growing nationalism led to books 
of American history and geography. Pioneer 
adventures and stories of the War of 1812 and 
the Civil War provided exciting plots for 
boys. The emphasis upon individual rights 
and freedom for all seemed to influence atti- 
tudes toward children. Conditions created a 
climate in which a son’s opinions were as 
valid as his father's. 

Children were considered individuals with 
unique rights. The attitudes toward religion 
gave way to secularism and to recognition of 
play as an acceptable part of child life. Each 
type of book reflected these social, political 
and economic changes. By the end of the cen- 



52 - Meeting Books and Children 


i hi 

INTERESTING HISTORY 


OF 

LITTLE JACK. 

& SttU'JMJL »<UUI. 




EMBELLISHED M ITU 

SI.VIUVL NEVT INGRAVINfis ON \\on|». 



iloxdox • 

ntIN Ml* \M» •*«» I l> I ' 

nvw.'. Mni)\\, him \ DM.i.t'i.i mkim 
I 1 

The frontispiece and title page of this 1821 book illustrate the preoccupation of children’s 
literature with death. From The Osborne Collection of Early Children s Books , 1566- 
1910. Toronto Public Library, 1958. 


tury there was a growing body of literature 
expressly written for children. 

BOOKS OF RELIGION AND MORALS 
In the first half of the nineteenth century the 
didactic school of writing for children flour- 
ished as women writers wielded influential 
pens. They condemned fairy stories and pro- 
vided information in lengthy dialogues be- 
tween parent and child or tutor and child. 
Information was relentlessly dispensed. Mar- 
tha Sherwood, a prolific writer, produced 
about 350 moralizing books and tracts. While 
living in India she wrote The History of 
Little Henry and His Bearer. (1814) The 
story of little Henry’s conversion illustrates 
her missionary theme. St. John notes that the 
advertisement of a later edition read, “Up- 
wards of two hundred and fifty thousand 
copies have been sold . .” 16 

ia St. John, op. cit. f p. 300. 


Mrs. Mary Sherwood wrote a series of 
stories about The Fairchild Family , begin- 
ning in 1812. It opens with a funeral, as 
many of the tales of that period were wont to 
begin. The religious tone is still present, and 
moral lessons are provided through stilted 
dialogue. For example, one evening Papa 
tells about the globe. After a long discourse, 
Lucy asks, “Papa may we have some verses 
about mankind having evil hearts?” Each 
child then quotes scripture. Little Henry ex- 
claims, “Oh, I wish I could love the Lord 
Jesus Christ more than I do; but my wicked 
heart will not let me.” In another part of one 
of the early editions, Mr. Fairchild takes the 
children to see the body of a man who had 
been hanged for the murder of his brother. 
Mrs. Sherwood also wrote of taking children 
to visit a dying farmer boy. The lad had pre- 
pared for his approaching death by inspect- 
ing the family vault and visiting the ceme- 


Children's Books of Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow - 53 


tery. In these ways children were urged to 
prepare for death. 

Biographies of pious children who died 
and went to heaven were favorites in the 
early nineteenth century. A collection of 
such biographies by Mary Pilkington was 
titled Biography for Girls: or Moral and In- 
structive Examples for the Female Sex. 

The horrible-example technique was also 
employed by some writers for children. In 
one book published near the end of the eight- 
eenth century, children were given animal 
bodies as “Jacky Idle turned into the body of 
an Ass," "Master Greedyguts into a Pig," and 
"Miss Dorothy Chatterfast became a Mag- 
pie." 

John Locke’s essays on education had wide 
influence on children’s literature. He sug- 
gested combining learning and pleasure, rec- 
ommended the use of fables, and encouraged 
use of illustrations. At the same time, he 
urged educators and parents to set a good 
example for children. These influences may 
be seen in Maria Edgeworth’s Easy Lessons 
which contained examples of children who 
always obeyed their parents. Maria Edge- 
worth was determined to educate young read- 
ers, but she did add suspense to her stories. 
Usually a gracious lady or nobleman ap- 
peared to make an award or point out a 
moral. The Parent* s Assistant: or Stories for 
Children (1796) included "The Purple Jar," 
"Waste Not, Want Not," and "Lazy Law- 
rence." In this series of essays she incorpo- 
rated the story of Rosamund and the Purple 
Jar. Little Rosamund learns that a purple 
jar she desires instead of new shoes is only a 
clear glass bottle colored by the bad smelling 
liquid it contains; Rosamund hopes she has 
learned a lesson. (And what lesson did the 
child who read the story learn? Did he learn 
to look in colored jars, or to choose shoes in- 
stead of bright baubles?) 

There was a trend during the early part of 
the century to exhort parents to set examples 
of good behavior. Humanitarians were be- 
ginning to assert that children went astray 
because they did not receive enough love. 
However, the writers reflected rigid attitudes 


toward youthful misdemeanors. In My 
Teacher’s Gem, a collection of moralistic 
stories, the dire results of stealing a bird's 
nest are righteously pronounced: 

CRUEL BOYS 

“O, what a shame!" a kind child may be ready 
to say on looking at this picture. You see these 
boys, little as they are, have hard and cruel hearts. 
They have been robbing a happy little bird fam- 
ily of one of the young ones; and now they will so 
hurt it that it will die, or they will let it starve 
to death. And they have robbed another pair of 
birds of their nest and eggs. How unhappy must 
all these birds now be! and how wicked it is to 
give such needless pain to any of God's creatures! 
No kind child can think of hurting a dear, inno- 
cent little bird. But those who delight in such 
sport will very likely grow up to be capable of in- 
juring their fellow-men in the various ways of 
which we so often hear and read. Let us be kind 
to every thing that lives. 

And this isn’t the whole story about these 
wicked boys. Don’t you see they are in a quarrel, 
how they shall divide what they have so cruelly 
stolen from the poor birds? Ah, that is the way in 
doing wrong — one wrong step leads on to an- 
other; and robbing birds’ nests does not usually go 
alone — a quarrel, or some other wickedness, usu- 
ally follows it. Beware, then of the beginnings of 
cruelty and wickedness . 17 

BOOKS OF INSTRUCTION 

By 1800 the New England Primer reflected 
the changing social purposes and interests of 
the new nation. The alphabet became less 
pious: 

A was an angler and fished with a hook 

B was a Blockhead and ne’er learned his book. 

A picture of George Washington was substi- 
tuted for the woodcut of George III. Adap- 
tations of the Primer were made by several 
educators. “A Mother" added space and large 
print for Lessons for Children from Two to 
Four Years Old. Another revision included 
such little stories as: 

Bring the tea things. Bring the little boy's milk. 
Where is the bread and butter? Little boys do not 
eat butter. Sop the bread in your tea. 

17 Asa Bullard, Sunnybank Stories: My Teacher's 
Gem. Boston: Lee and Shepard, 1863. pp. 22-24. 



54 - Meeting Books and Children 

The illustrations were crude, and size was of 
little importance. In Mathew Carey’s 1813 
edition of The American Primer for example, 
the illustration of a mouse was the same size 
as that of a horse. 

Renewed interest in Latin and grammar 
was reflected in Nathan Bailey’s book, Eng- 
lish and Latine , which was used for several 
decades. Thomas Dilworth’s New Guide to 
the English Tongue, 1740, listed words from 
one syllable, such as ox, to words of six sylla- 
bles, such as Mesopotamia. The new emphasis 
upon trade was reflected in the title of a book 
by Thomas Mortimer, A Grammar Illustrat- 
ing the principles of trade and commerce; 
for the use of young persons intended for 
business (1810). 

Rhymes to help children learn the multi- 
plication tables were presented in Marma- 
duke Multiples Merry Method of Making 
Minor Mathematicians by Harris in 1816. 
The Multiplication Table , in verse, printed 
in 1819 included this verse: 

Twice one are two sweet little cats 
One black, the other gray, 

Twice two are four as pretty mice 
That from them ran away. 18 

Nonsense about parts of speech and punc- 
tuation was the basis for Punctuation Per- 
sonified, , Mr. Stop who was shown in accom- 
panying illustrations, told the reader how to 
use punctuation marks. 

Reading for patriotism, good citizenship, 
and industry was the purpose of the well- 
loved Eclectic Readers by William H. Mc- 
Guffey. They were used so widely from 1834 
to 1900 one could almost say these readers 
comprised the elementary curriculum in lit- 
erature. 

The College Entrance Examination Board 
established lists of “classics.” By 1890 a pat- 
tern of four classics per year was accepted. 
Lady of the Lake, Courtship of Miles Stand- 
ish, and House of Seven Gables were among 
those listed. v 

Although compulsory education was being 

18 St. John, op. cit., p. 131. 


extended, and the publicly supported com- 
mon school was being established, parents 
were also expected to teach children at home. 
The parent’s role was established through 
stories in which mothers embroidered, sipped 
tea, and dispensed information to sweet chil- 
dren. The following conversation was in A 
Key to Knowledge published in 1822: 

Louisa — By the by, when I come to think of it, 
what a dirty thing honey is; first swallowed by 
bees, and then by us. 

Mother — Your description is certainly not very in- 
viting. Suppose rather that we should call the 
honey, the syrup of flowers, drawn from the 
opened buds by the trunk, or proboscis, of the 
industrious bee. 

Louisa — Now I like honey again. But Mamma, if 
honey is the juice of flowers, what then is wax? 
Mother — Wax has been determined by an atten- 
tive naturalist (Reamer) to be the farina, or 
pollen of flowers .... But we have done tea, 
and must now begin our evening amusements. 
Louisa — Mamma, we have been already delight- 
fully amused. 19 

In the early nineteenth century, nature 
study and contemplation of the universe was 
encouraged to develop an admiration of 
God’s works. In this period, Samuel Goodrich 
was chiefly responsible for eliminating the 
British background in books for American 
children. History, geography and science 
were included in his Tales of Peter Parley 
about America (1827) . As Goodrich tried to 
satisfy children’s curiosity in an 1 839 edition 
of Peter Parley's Farewell, the idea of a series 
of informative books was initiated. Peter 
Parley told tales of Europe and Africa and of 
the Sun, Moon, and Stars. Isaac Taylor wrote 
a series of Scenes “for little tarry-at-home 
travellers.” Scenes in Africa, was printed in 
1820 while Scenes of Commerce, by Land or 
Sea; or, “Where Does It Come from V' an- 
swered was published ten years later. Jacob 
Abbott also followed this plan as he wrote 
about Rollo learning to talk, Rollo learning 
to read, and of Rollo’s travels to Europe. In 
the first books published in 1834, Rollo was 
quite a natural little boy, but as he became 

19 “19th Century Juvenilia,” Times Educational 
Supplement 2262:1412, September 26, 1958. 



Children's Books of Today , Yesterday , and Tomorrow - 55 


older and traveled about the world he be- 
came another little prig. The Bodley Family, 
conceived by Horace Scudder, explored New 
England, Holland, and other countries 
(1857) . History and folklore were combined 
with geography in Hezekiah Butterworth’s 
1880 series of Zig-Zag Journeys in Europe . In 
Seven Little Sisters Who Live on the Big 
Round Ball that Floats in the Air (1861), 
Jane Andrews told of little girls who lived in 
the far north, in the desert, in China, and in 
Switzerland. Through a dramatic family 
story, Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates, 
Mary Mapes Dodge gave accurate glimpses 
of Dutch life in 1865. The skating race is 
actually less important than the daring brain 
surgery performed on father Brinker, who 
had been nearly an idiot for several years 
after an accident. The bravery and courage 
of Hans and his sister in facing poverty, 
scorn, and their father’s illness provided fur- 
ther examples for child behavior. To make 
another country seem real, Johanna Spyri 
wrote Heidi in 1884. Not only did readers 
share the joys and sorrows in Heidi’s life; 
they “breathed” the clear mountain air and 
“lived” in Switzerland. 

Problems of war, temperance, and anti- 
slavery were topics in histories in the first 
half of the nineteenth century. Samuel Wood 
discussed the miseries of the world as he gave 
information in The Seven Wonders of the 
World (1814). Biographies of churchmen 
published by the American Tract Society 
gave children some historical background. 
Thomas Higginson’s A Young Folk's History 
of the United States (1875) marks the begin- 
ning of history writing for American chil- 
dren. Civil War battles were described by 
Charles Coffin in Boys of '76 and Boys of '61. 
In 1880, George Henty wrote a military his- 
tory for boys, The Young Buglers . History in 
the form of biographies was written by 
George Towle in an 1883 publication, 
Young Folk's Heroes of History . Ten Boys 
Who Lived on the Road from Long Ago to 
Now by Jane Andrews gave young readers in- 
formation about Puritans, Horatius and 
other heroes (1886) . 


Most of the science books were about 
flowers and gardens. Mrs. Margaret Gatty's 
Parables from Nature, Worlds Not Realized, 
gave accurate information as well as moral 
instruction. One writer who did not “write 
down” to children was Mrs. Ewing, who pub- 
lished a series of nature lessons under the 
title Mary's Meadow (1886) . Astronomy also 
was written for young people. In 1805 The 
Wonders of the Telescope ; or A display of 
the wonders of the heavens and of the sys- 
tem of the universe, written in a familiar and 
popular manner, adapted particularly to the 
perusal of young persons, and especially cal- 
culated to promote and simplify the study of 
astronomy among persons of all ages, with 
twelve plates, on a plan never before at- 
tempted. 

Through the years only a few writers and 
publishers seemed to realize that children 
want to learn about their world. Children 
had to plod through pages of tiresome con- 
versations with moralistic overtones to gain 
the information they sought. It was not until 
much later that informational books on al- 
most every subject were placed on book- 
shelves for boys and girls. 

FOLK TALE COLLECTIONS 

Although they were not folk tales, the re- 
written Tales from Shakespeare published by 
Charles and Mary Lamb in 1810 introduced 
the trend to collect and write tales for 
children. 

Early in the nineteenth century, two Ger- 
man brothers went about asking servants and 
peasants to recall stories they had heard. In 
1812, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published 
the first volume of Kinder-und Hausmauchen 
(Household Stories). These serious scholars 
tried to preserve the form as well as the 
content of the old tales. They were trans- 
lated and published in England by Edgar 
Taylor in 1823-1826. “The Elves and the 
Shoemaker,” “Rumplestiltskin,” and “Snow 
.White,” in addition to many others, became 
part of the literature of childhood. 

In America, Washington Irving included 
Rip Van Winkle and the Legend of Sleepy 



56 - Meeting Books and Children 

Hollow in the 1819 Sketch Book . These tales, 
written mainly for adults, were enjoyed by 
older children. 

The origin of The Three Bears has been 
questioned by various authorities. Meigs 
notes it was published in Robert Southey’s 
Doctor, 1834-1837. Muir reports there is 
some evidence it was written by an anony- 
mous author in 1831 and retold by Southey. 

In 1846 Mary Howitt translated a book of 
tales called Wonderful Stories for Children . 
Hans Christian Andersen came to England 
and America through the pages of this book, 
and children were enthralled by “The Tin- 
der Box,” “The Princess and the Pea,” and 
“The Ugly Duckling.” In these stories in- 
animate objects and animals come alive. 

In the last half of the nineteenth century, 
folk tales and fairy tales were given a new 
place in children’s literature. John Ruskin’s 
King of the Golden River (1851) had a 
moral, but the exciting and dramatic tale 
was enjoyed by younger readers. Charles 
Dickens’ The Magic Fishbone was written as 
a serial in 1868. The Wonderbook for Boys 
and Girls was published by Nathaniel Haw- 
thorne in 1852 and was followed by Tangle- 
wood Tales in 1853. Sir George Dasent trans- 
lated Popular Tales from the North in 1859 
making it possible for children to enjoy 
more tales from Scandinavia. The N umber g 
Stove was another favorite, first published by 
Louise de la Ramee in a collection of chil- 
dren’s stories in 1882. George MacDonald 
created another fairyland in At the Back of 
the Northwind in 1871. Joel Chandler Harris 
collected stories from the South for Uncle 
Remus, His Songs and Sayings (1881). 

Collections of folktales were made by An- 
drew Lang in his famous series beginning 
with The Blue Fairy Book. The Red, Green, 
and the Yellow fairy books followed the 1889 
publication of the first volume of folklore. 
Joseph Jacobs was also interested in retelling 
folk tales for children. English Fairy Tales 
(1892), Celtic Fairy Tales (1893), and In- 
dian Fairy Tales (1892) were important con- 
tributions to the realm of folklore. As the 
merits of folklore were recognized every- 


where, there was increasing interest in such 
volumes as Howard Pyle’s Pepper and Salt 
(1886) and Wonder Clock (1888) . 

STORIES OF ADVENTURE 

The pioneer spirit sought stories of adven- 
ture. Swiss Family Robinson by J. H. Wyss 
was translated in 1814, bringing excitement 
to many children. In America, daily life was 
full of adventure as conceived by children 
today. A few writers recognized the value of 
recording some of the incidents and also 
realized the growing demand for such litera- 
ture. Although written for adults, The Last 
of the Mohicans, by James Fenimore Cooper 
interested children when it was published in 
1826. Its bloody incidents and tragedy gave 
tingling adventure. Captain Frederick Marry- 
at began a series of sea adventures with Ad- 
ventures of a Naval Officer; or, Frank Mild- 
may in 1829. Mr. Midshipman Easy and 
Masterman Ready were juvenile adventures 
which followed in 1836 and 1844. Robert 
Ballantyne began his series of nearly eighty 
books with an account of his experiences as 
a fur trader, The Young Fur Trader (1856) . 
Ballantyne was a writer for boys who related 
exciting stories based upon events in the 
world. The Battery and the Boiler; or Ad- 
ventures in the Laying of Submarine Electric 
Cables would have been of great interest to 
boys in 1883. Boy readers also found adven- 
ture in W. H. G. Kingston’s Peter the Whaler 
and in the short stories in Kingston's Maga- 
zine for Boys. 

Ragged Dick (1867) was the first of the 
series of stories by Horatio Alger. Over a hun- 
dred of these stories of triumph over diffi- 
culties in the climb from rags to riches were 
published by this American writer. Charac- 
ter building was included in The Elm Island 
series by Elijah Kellogg who wrote of pi- 
oneers and fishermen. 

The beginning of science fiction and ad- 
venture can surely be found in Jules Verne’s 
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, 
(1870) and Around the World in Eighty 
Days, (1872). Modern readers may be sur- 
prised to note the early dates of these books. 



Children's Books of Today , Yesterday, and Tomorrow - 57 


Oliver Optic was the pen name of William 
Adams, a teacher who wrote such series as 
The Boat Club Series (1855), The Army 
and Navy Series, and The Starry Flag Series . 
There were many scenes of excitement and 
adventure, but Oliver's readers also learned 
some geography as they traveled with the 
heroes. Outward Bound told of reckless boy 
sailors, but stilted speeches and the incidents 
of drinking and gambling led libraries to 
eliminate these books from their shelves. 

Mark Twain combines realism, humor 
and adventure in his classic accounts of the 
Missouri boys, Tom Sawyer and Huckle- 
berry Finn. Adventures of Tom Sawyer pub- 
lished in 1871 was followed by Adventures 
of Huckleberry Finn in 1884. The author’s 
imagination and understanding made pos- 
sible this realistic portrayal of American boy- 
hood. 

The first great school story was Tom 
Brown's School Days (1885), by Thomas 
Hughes. In this book, sports are of great in- 
terest, and the excitement is provided in ac- 
counts of team events. 

Many of the series books provided adven- 
ture, but the characters tended to be rather 
superficial. In 1882 a serial for boys was ac- 
claimed by adults as well. Treasure Island 
was later published in book form in 1883. 
Not only were there tense, thrilling mo- 
ments; the characters were convincing and 
consistently drawn. 

In the latter half of the nineteenth century, 
numerous series books appeared. The Little 
Prudy series was written by Rebecca Clarke 
under the pseudonym, Sophie May, begin- 
ning in 1863. Under the name of Farquhu- 
san, Martha Finley initiated the Dotty Dim- 
ple series in 1867. Pools of tears were shed 
over the life of this character. The books 
were still in print in 1940. 

The most familiar and well loved family 
described in series books is probably the 
March family. Written by the irrepressible 
Jo, Louisa May Alcott, this series about a 
warm, human family remains an American 
classic. Little Women and Little Men con- 
tinue to be the favorites of the series. The 


everyday life of a large family was chron- 
icled by Margaret Sidney, pseudonym of 
Harriet Lathrop, in the Five Little Peppers 
Series (1883—) . This trend toward series 
books continued and flourishes today. 

ANIMAL STORIES 

A Dog of Flanders (1872) by Louise de la 
Ramee has been considered the first modem 
dog story. Black Beauty appeared in 1877 as 
a protest against cruel treatment of horses. 
Children even today enjoy Anna Sewell's 
rather overdrawn and sentimental tale. 

Ernest Thompson Se ton’s sketches added 
much to the children’s enjoyment of Wild 
Animals I have Known (1898). This book 
with “personal” histories of animals was a 
forerunner of the modern books written 
about one animal. 

BOOKS OF HUMOR AND FANTASY 

Although many of the early titles of books 
for children included the word “amusing,” 
or were designed in a measure for the enter- 
tainment of children, the main purpose was 
to instruct or to moralize. Few books brought 
humor or nonsense to their lives before the 
middle of the eighteenth century. Undoubt- 
edly they enjoyed the broad humor in some 
of the folk tales and the nonsense in Mother 
Goose. 

Just to amuse children, John Harris (in 
1805) presented Old Mother Hubbard . Most 
of the literature, however, was as bare of 
humor as her cupboard. Fantastic verse and 
brightly colored pictures were introduced in 
1807 with The Butterfly's Ball and the Grass- 
hopper's Feast by William Roscoe. In 1846 
an author appeared who wrote verse solely to 
entertain. Edw r ard Lear’s nonsense poems 
brought joy to both children and adults as 
they met fantastic Pobbles and Quangle 
Wangles. In the 1872 volume. More Non- 
sense, the owl and the pussy cat went out to 
sea in their pea green boat and other impos- 
sibles appeared to delight young and old 
alike. 

On a summer day in 1862 a professor of 
mathematics, Charles Dodgson, told a story 



58 - Meeting Books and Children 

to three little girls at a picnic. In response to 
their request that he record the story, Dodg- 
son wrote Alice’s Adventures Underground 
and presented it to his young friends as a 
Christmas gift. At the insistence of others, he 
decided to have it published. By 1864 the 
artist Tenniel had completed the drawings, 
and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was 
ready for the host of readers to come. Writ- 
ten purely for the pleasure of children, these 
books were also written for the author’s en- 
joyment. 

Although the Duchess tells Alice “Every- 
thing’s got a moral if you can only find it,’’ 
there is no moral in this fantasy. Indeed, 
children can appreciate her pattern of giving 
good advice which she never takes. Alice in 
Wonderland is a book which must be read 
aloud, for it is the inflection of the voice, the 
pause before the parenthetical explanation, 
the tonal change for conversation which 
make it fun for children. The teacher’s or li- 
brarian’s enjoyment is a key, for effective 
reading is essential. Alice falls and falls, talk- 
ing to herself constantly. Timing of reading 
and the illustrations will help them appre- 
ciate her changes in size. The scenes at the 
Mad Hatter’s tea party, the croquet game, 
and the court scene are enjoyed more by 
adults than childen for their nonsense and 
play on words. For example, the phrase “was 
immediately suppressed by the court’’ is ex- 
plained to Alice by the action of stuffing the 
guinea pig who cheered into a bag. Now she 
“understood” that phrase! Her second ad- 
venture occurs as she goes through the look- 
ing glass to fairyland. Children who are 
beginning to play chess may enjoy hearing 
some of these incidents. Since all children 
will not enjoy Alice, the teacher may read 
it only to those who wish to listen. A brief 
resume will help the literal-minded child. It 
may prove interesting to compare the origi- 
nal Tenniel illustrations with a modern ver- 
sion by the Italian artist Maraja, for exam- 
ple; the color, humor, and characterization 
are delightful in this edition. 

In this category of books for fun, the books 
with movable parts might also be included. 


Harlequinades or turn-ups, first appeared in 
1766. They consisted of a page of pictures 
covered with flaps which could be raised or 
lowered to create other scenes. Doggerel 
verse on each section told a simple story. In 

“Curioser and curioser.” Tenniel’s Alice grows tall 
from the neck up. From Alice in Wonderland by 
Lewis Carroll. Illustrated by Tenniel, 1865. 




Children's Books of Today, Yesterday , and Tomorrow - 59 


1810, stories in rhyme were printed on sheets 
with slots, and pockets were fastened to the 
reverse side. Cut out figures could be slipped 
through the slot and were held in the pocket. 
A hero or heroine could appear in a number 

“Goodby, feet!” Maraja’s Alice grows from the waist 
down. From Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. 
Illustrated by Maraja. Fratelli Fabbri Editori, n.d. 



of different costumes in this way. From 1840 
until about 1900 a variety of books with flaps 
and movable parts was published. By pulling 
tabs, various pictures appeared to illustrate 
the verse or story (see p. 62) . 

The early steps toward a literature for 
children’s enjoyment led naturally to the de- 
velopment of fantasy. Charles Kingsley's 
story of Tom’s adventures with the sea crea- 
tures in The Water-Babies (1863) represents 
the beginning of modern fantasy. This story 
of a chimney sweep who became a water baby 
with gills might have amused adults but chil- 
dren would have many difficulties in under- 
standing the hidden meanings. Mrs. Bedone- 
byasyoudid teaches her lessons: 

“. . . for you must know and believe that peo- 
ple’s souls make their bodies just as a snail makes 
its shell (I am not joking, my little man; I am in 
serious, solemn earnest) . And therefore, when 
Tom’s soul grew all prickly with naughty tempers, 
his body could not help growing prickly too, so 
that nobody would cuddle him, or play with him, 
or even like to look at him.” 20 




While she was in India and homesick for 
her children, Helen Bannerman wrote The 
Story of Little Black Sambo (1899). In this 
fantasy one absurd incident after another oc- 
curs, excitement is high, and the ending is 
satisfying. 

BOOKS OF GAMES AND SPORTS 

Essays on proper conversation, manners, 
drawing, and music were included with games 
in Lydia Child’s 1858 edition, The GirVs 
Own Book. A Course of Geography , by means 
of instructive games . . . was published by 
Gaultier in 1829. It included maps and 
counters for locating the places. Craft books, 
too, were available. Papyroplastics, or The 
art of modelling in paper; being an instruc- 
tive amusement for young persons of both 
sexes. Translated from the German by D. 
Boileau, this edition was printed in 1825. The 
preface quoted in the Osborne collection is 
of interest today: 

"Charles Kingsley, The Water-Babies. New York: 
Platt and Peck Co., 1900. p. 149. 



60 - Meeting Books and Children 

Independently of the mathematical studies for 
which it prepares the youthful mind, Papyroplas- 
tics has the additional advantage of teaching man- 
ual dexterity and the knowledge of proportions 
of imparting a taste for the arts of design, and 
above all, of affording a salutary antidote to that 
listless indolence, that pernicious love of cards, or 
that rage of indiscriminately reading any book at 
random. 21 

Another title which suggested fun for chil- 
dren appeared about 1800, The Whim Wham; 
or Evening Amusement for All Ages and 
Sizes, Being an entire set of riddles, charades , 
questions and transportations, by a friend of 
innocent mirth . 

POETRY 

In the nineteenth century a wide variety of 
poetry was written for children. The Taylor 
sisters, Ann and Jane, emphasized polite be- 
havior in their volume published in 1804, 
Original Poems for Infant Minds. Their 
poems about life-like young people in every- 
day life were translated and published on 
the continent. Morals, death, and justice 
were also pointed out in the poems, as in this 
example: 

You are not so healthy and gay 
So young, so active and bright, 

That death cannot snatch you away, 

Or some dread accident smite. 

Here lie both the young and the old, 
Confined in the coffin so small 
The earth covers over them cold, 

The grave-worms devour them all. 

Jane Taylor wrote the oft-parodied, “Twinkle 
Twinkle Little Star" for this collection. 

A professor who wrote to please his own 
children was Clement Moore who gave to 
children and adults the Christmas classic, 
A Visit from St. Nicholas . One of the first 
American contributions to a joyous litera 
ture for children, it was published with this 
title in 1822, but is now known as The Night 
Before Christmas. 

Christina Rossetti’s poetry for children is 
reminiscent of Mother Goose, but she also 

n St. John, op. cit., p. 224. 


wrote verse which brought to children vivid 
descriptions of the beauty around them. Sing 
Song (1872) continues to delight young chil- 
dren with such verses as: 

Mix a pancake 
Stir a pancake. 

Pop it in the pan; 

Fry the pancake, 

Toss the pancake, 

Catch it if you can. 

Children continue to respond to: 

Who has seen the wind? 

Neither I nor you; 

But when the leaves hang trembling 
The wind is passing thro*. 

Who has seen the wind? 

Neither you nor I; 

But when the trees bow down their heads 
The wind is passing by. 

In the last half of the nineteenth century, 
young people were also enjoying the ballads 
of William Allingham’s collection, Ballad 
Book (1865) . John Greenleaf Whittier wrote 
many of the fine poems of the period in his 
collection, Child Life , A Collection of Poems 
(1871) . Kate Greenaway is known as an il- 
lustrator, but her verses were enjoyed as 
much as the drawings in Under the Window 
(1878) and Marigold Garden (1885). 

The century ended with the appearance 
of a volume of poetry for children which told 
of everyday life and the child's own world as 
he views it. This volume by Robert Louis 
Stevenson was originally titled Penny 
Whistles (1885), and later changed to A 
Child's Garden of Verses. He was a poet who 
could recapture a child’s imaginings for all 
to enjoy. “I have a little shadow," “My bed 
is like a boat," “Windy Nights," and “Good 
Play" tell of fun, and bring rhythm to the 
child's world. 

The close of the nineteenth century found 
two American poets writing for children. Eu- 
gene Field’s Poems of Childhood (1896) in- 
cluded “The Sugar Plum Tree" and “The 
Duel." In Rhymes of Childhood (1891), 



Children’s Books of Today , Yesterday, and Tomorrow - 61 


James Whitcomb Riley employed dialect as 
he described local incidents and Indiana farm 
life. His “Little Orphant Annie" and “The 
Raggedy Man" continue to be favorites. 

MAGAZINES 

Magazines formed a significant part of the 
literature for children in the last half of the 
nineteenth century. In keeping with the phi- 
losophy of the time, a French teacher, Ma- 
dame Leprinal de Beaumont, published a 
magazine titled, Magisin des infants. Madame 
Beaumont also wrote seventy books, includ- 
ing Beauty and the Beast. The chapbooks 
sold by peddlers in England might be con- 
sidered forerunners of magazines, but they 
were really books. The comic hero and ad- 
venturer, Jack Harkaway, of one of the chap- 
books, closely resembled the modern comic 
book figure. 

The first true magazine for English chil- 
dren appeared in 1852 under the title, The 
Charm. It was not until the 1860's that chil- 
dren’s magazines gained importance. Many 
of the best stories for children first appeared 
in such form. Charlotte Yonge’s own stories 
appeared in her magazine, The Monthly 
Packet. Mrs. Gatty and Mrs. Ewing were 
among the early writers who contributed to 
Aunt Judy's Magazine initiated in 1868. 

The first magazine really planned for chil- 
dren in America was The Juvenile Miscel- 
lany, 1827. This magazine emphasized Amer- 
ican history and biography. Other magazines 
resulted from the Sunday School movement. 
Horace Scudder, editor of The Riverside 
Magazine, published several of Hans Chris- 
tian Andersen’s stories. He was also one of 
the earliest editors to discuss selection of 
books for children. The Youth’s Companion 
started in 1827 and continued until 1941. 
It engaged such writers as Tennyson, Glad- 
stone, Kipling, Oliver Wendell* Holmes and 
Mark Twain. 

Mary Mapes Dodge became editor of one 
of the most famous magazines for children, 
St. Nicholas. Meigs writes of the editorial pol- 
icy, “With the advent of St. Nicholas didac- 
ticism as the chief element in reading for 


children fled away forever." 22 Stories, verse, 
a “How to Do and Make" section, and let- 
ters from children were included in the mag- 
azine until 1927. Well-known writers of chil- 
dren's literature wrote for this magazine 
which guided children’s reading for over half 
a century. 

Magazines provided new outlets for chil- 
dren’s authors. It was now respectable for 
children to read purely for pleasure. Juvenile 
magazines of the nineteenth century made 
a significant contribution to the total devel- 
opment of a literature for children. 

IMPROVEMENTS IN BOOK PRINTING 
The printing process dates back to the sev- 
enth century in China when paper was 
rubbed over inked wood blocks. Today ink 
is still rubbed from varied surfaces to paper. 
During the nineteenth century improvements 
in the printing process made possible pub- 
lication of a larger quantity of books and 
books of a better quality. 

In 1803 a method for making paper by 
machinery was invented and the process of 
making paper from wood pulp was devel- 
oped in 1840. 

Type had been set by hand; each block was 
cut and fastened in place, until the linotype 
was patented in 1884. In mid-century the 
cylinder type press and steam power made 
printing large quantities much easier. 

The student of children’s literature should 
be familiar with the three basic methods of 
printing. Relief printing is done by moving 
the ink roller over the plate which has blocks 
with letters or illustrations raised above the 
surface. Only the high ridge receives ink 
which can then be transferred to paper. In- 
taglio printing results when designs are 
scratched below the surface by using an en- 
graving tool or etching with acid. The ink is 
rolled on the plate, sinking into the low 
areas; another roller wipes it off the higher 
surface. As the paper is pressed against the 
plate it absorbs the ink. The planographic 
method uses a repellent on areas which are 
not to be printed. Lithography is an example 

Meigs, of>. rit., p. 280. 



62 - Meeting Books and Children 



Movable parts give a Venetian- 
blind effect in this early book 
for children. From Pleasant 
Surprises: A Novel Mechanical 
Book for the Little Ones. Circa 
1880. Courtesy of P. K. Thoma- 
jan Collection of Animated 
Juvenilia. 


of the planographic method of printing. The 
artist drew directly on a porous limestone 
with a grease pencil. Water was added to the 
other areas. When the ink was rolled over the 
stone it would adhere only to the grease. 
Later, zinc or aluminum plates were used. 
Today, the plate prints the design on a rub- 
ber roller which applies the ink to the paper. 
This offset method makes quantity printing 
possible. 

Another significant development in the 
latter part of the nineteenth century was the 
half-tone process. By taking a photograph 
of the illustration through a fine screen a 
series of tiny dots is created. The negative is 
used to etch the plates, with lighter areas 
having smaller dots and darker areas having 
larger dots. 

Early illustrations were made by relief de- 
signs in wood cuts. To withstand the pressure 
of steam presses, copper plates were used. 
Color had to be added by hand. In the first 
part of the century, groups of children or 
families colored the sheets by hand. Later 


one color would be added on the copper 
plate. Today, three and four color processes 
make possible the lovely illustrations in chil- 
dren’s books. 

Technological developments of the nine- 
teenth century were the basis for the vast 
improvements in the process of printing in 
the century ahead. 

ILLUSTRATORS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY 
In the nineteenth century several outstand- 
ing artists emerged as illustrators of chil- 
dren’s books. It was not until the 1860’s that 
books were sold because of the fine illustra- 
tions. 

George Cruikshank was an engraver who 
illustrated Grimm's Fairy Tales in 1820 with 
gay, cheerful people instead of the solemn 
prigs children had known earlier. A cartoon- 
ist, his work appeared in newspapers and 
journals as well as the children’s periodical, 
Aunt Judy's Magazine. His elves and fairies 
were especially appealing. 

Walter Crane used flat, bright colors and 



Children's Books of Today , Yesterday , and Tomorrow - 63 

bold outlines in his first picture books, The fragile children. Her flowers in The Lan- 

House That Jack Built, and History of Cock guage of Flowers and Marigold Garden were 

Robin and Jenny Wren . Delicate, fairy-like beautifully drawn. 

pencil drawings illustrated The First of May. Howard Pyle created real people for his 
He especially enjoyed drawing apimals and collections of folk tales and legends. His 
outdoor scenes. characters from the Middle Ages were strong; 

The picture books by Randolph Calde- ' the life of the times was portrayed with in- 
cott established new standards of illustration teresting, clear detail. Pyle also illustrated for 

for children's books. His drawings are filled the popular magazines of his day, St. Nich- 

with action, joy of living, and good fun. His olas and Scribner's Monthly. 

love of animals and the English countryside With the steady decline of Puritanism 
is reflected in the illustrations which seem came a< gradual realization that the morbid 

to convey much meaning through a few lines. tone of many of the books was actually harm- 

On the Caldecott medal there is a reproduc- ful. The make-believe accounts of impossible 

tion of John Gilpin’s famous ride, reminder children and perfect parents were no longer 

of this famous illustrator of the nineteenth being written. Fairies were finally accepted, 

century. and by the end of the century literature was 

Kate Greenaway’s name brings visions of designed to give happiness rather than moral 

English gardens, delicate, graceful figures, lectures. 

and the special style of costume on her rather Mead and Wolfenstein noted that certain 

George Cruikshank’s illustration from The Brownies, by Mrs. Ewing. From The Osborne 
Collection of Early Childrens Books , 1566-1910. Toronto Public Library, 1958. 


64 - Meeting Books and Children 



Randolph Caldecott was one of the 
first illustrators for children to 
show action in his pictures. From 
“John Gilpin”, Randolph Caldecott 
Picture Book No. 1 , Frederick 
Wame, n.d. 


writers in the nineteenth century developed 
a desire for contact with the charmed age of 
childhood: 

A recapturing of the dreamlike and magical 
could be permitted and justified in communica- 
tion with children in making stories for them. 
Certain sections of adult consciousness, otherwise 
muted and denied, could find expression in tell- 
ing tales for children. Kingsley’s Water Babies 
and Barrie's Peter Pan evoked a magical world in 
which children would never have to grow up. The 
child became the guardian and repository not 
only of the fanciful (fairy tales old and new being 
typed as children’s stories) but also of the roman- 
tic: tales of chivalry, old wars, and explorations of 
a world not yet completely mapped out. Making 
stories specially for children thus arose out of an 
adult necessity, a discovery of a new important 
role of the child in relation to the adult. 23 

Children's Literature: Twentieth Century 

BACKGROUNDS 

In the rapidly changing world of the twen- 
tieth century the child became an important 
individual in the family, school, and com- 
munity. The importance of early childhood 
was emphasized by Freudian psychology, so- 
cial anthropologists, and students of child 
development. The emerging concepts of child 
development emphasized continuous growth, 
uniqueness of the individual, and the inter- 
relationship of physical, emotional, and so- 

28 Margaret Mead and Martha Wolfenstein, Child- 
hood in Contemporary Culture. Chicago: University 
of Chicago Press, 1955. p. 234. 


cial development. Kindergartens became an 
accepted part of the school system. Needs for 
love, affection, and belonging were stressed 
in the many books and articles for parents 
and teachers. Television producers and ad- 
vertisers were aware of a vast new market 
as the infant population boomed in the for- 
ties. The “world of childhood” was recog- 
nized as a unique and significant world. 

Events in America and the world left their 
imprint upon children’s literature. Historians 
of the twenty-first century will see even more 
clearly these influences upon books for boys 
and girls. Two world wars and the develop- 
ment of atomic power forced the nation to 
turn from isolation to participation and lead- 
ership among world powers. There was new 
impetus for world understanding. Individ- 
ualism in industry changed as larger busi- 
nesses emerged and as economic forces led 
to increased government control and protec- 
tion. Suburban developments mushroomed 
around cities, changing patterns of family 
life. Travel by jet plane and the mass media 
of radio and television created new awareness 
of others, more information, and contact with 
a much wider world. Technology ushered 
in the Space Age with its new frontiers for 
modern pioneers. Problems of integration 
and understanding of other peoples caused 
grave concern as two ideologies martialed 
forces in a cold war. 

Art of the twentieth century was now ex- 
perimental — after the 1919* Armory show in 



Children’s Books of Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow - 65 


New York there was an awareness of new 
styles of painting — freedom, light and color, 
marked the abstract designs of cubism, sur- 
realism, and other new art forms. Jazz re- 
flected distinctly American rhythms. A new 
realism in literature was followed eventually 
by starkly realistic film portrayal of human 
problems. The new schools emphasized cre- 
ative expression, but traditional, rigid ap- 
proaches remained in most classrooms of the 
sixties. Schools were seeking ways to provide 
for the wide range of individual differences 
among children. 

The types of literature published for the 
expanding child’s world reflected the changes 
and challenges of life in the twentieth cen- 
tury. The new philosophy held that child- 
hood was to be enjoyed. 

It is perhaps one of the finer commentaries 
of our times that as adult literature has re- 
flected the disillusionment of depression, 
wars, and materialism by becoming more sor- 
did, sensational, and psychological, children’s 
literature has produced books of outstanding 
beauty and quality. It is almost as if pub- 
lishers, authors, and illustrators had entered 
into a conspiracy to give this generation the 
very best in the world of books in order to 
compensate for a very uncertain future in 
the adult world. 

TECHNICAL IMPROVEMENTS 

The improvements in printing which were 
initiated in the nineteenth century were fully 
realized in the next four decades. Photo-off- 
set lithography made it possible to print 
many more books at a lower cost. Bindings 
were more durable, often washable, and 
bright and gay. It was possible to create beau- 
tiful, fine books for children and just as easy 
to mass produce shoddy, cheap editions. 

The trend toward mass production and 
chain stores was reflected in so-called “fiction 
factories” in which ideas are developed and 
stories written by teams of writers and edi- 
tors. 24 Series books were developed by nearly 
all publishing houses. 

24 “The Grinch & Co.,” Time 70:74-76, December 
23, 1957. 


RECOGNIJION OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE 

The addition of children’s departments to 
publishing firms indicated the growing im- 
portance of literature for the young. In 1919 
Macmillan made Louise Seaman children’s 
editor, and other companies were soon to fol- 
low. The first critical reviews of children’s 
books appeared in The Bookman in 1918. 
Anne Carroll Moore continued this influ- 
ential work in her New York Herald Tribune 
column, “The Three Owls.” The Hornbook 
Magazine , a publication solely devoted to 
children’s literature, was first published in 
1924 under the editorship of Bertha Ma- 
hony. 

The observance of Children’s Book Week 
was initiated by Franklin K. Mathiews who 
had tried to raise the level of reading through 
his work as Chief Scout Librarian. His idea 
was promoted by Frederick Melcher as a proj- 
ect of the American Booksellers Association 
in 1919. Schools, libraries, newspapers, and 
book stores supported the event which became 
a significant stimulant to the development of 
children’s literature. In 1945 the Children’s 
Book Council was established to promote 
Book Week and to distribute information 
throughout the year. 

Mr. Melcher also promoted another event 
which has encouraged the development of 
children’s literature. He proposed the presen- 
tation of an annual award for the most dis- 
tinguished book for children. Since 1922 the 
Newbery award and the Caldecott Medal for 
picture books, awarded first in 1938, have 
had great influence in raising the standards 
of writing and illustrating children's books. 
Recent years have seen the establishment of 
other awards which encourage writers and 
illustrators of children’s books. 25 

RISE OF THE PICTURE BOOK 

The importance of early childhood made it 
imperative that books be designed for young 
children. Technological progress made it pos- 
sible to produce picture books for the pre- 
schoolers. Wanda Gag’s delightful tale, Mil- 
lions of Cats, published in 1928 has been 

25 See Chapter One and Appendix A 



66 - Meeting Books and Children 

called the first American picture book. 26 In 
that same year Boris Artzybasheff illustrated 
The Fairy Shoemaker and Other Poems, be- 
ginning his outstanding work. In England 
Arthur Rackham was drawing his grotesque 
people and trees, often conveying an eerie 
atmosphere with his skilled lines. His illus- 
trations of Aesop's Fables, Gulliver's Travels, 
and Mother Goose show fine detail, imagina- 
tive elves and gnomes, and excellent use of 
color. Leslie Brooke’s animals in Johnny 
Crow's Garden were costumed and personi- 
fied. The facial expressions convey feeling 
with humor and charm. 

The production of American picture books 
not only benefited from improved techniques 
in the field of graphic arts, but also from the 
influx of many fine European artists who for 
one reason or another sought refuge in this 
country. These artists found a legitimate out- 
let for their creative talents in the field of 
children’s literature. Picture books were 
greatly enriched through their unique con- 
tributions. A glance at a roster of some of 
the names of well-known illustrators will in- 
dicate the international character of their 
backgrounds: Bobri, Chariot, d'Aulaire, Du- 
voisin, Eichenberg, Galdone, Mordvinoff, Pe- 
tersham, Rojankovsky, Simont, Slobodkina, 
Yashima, and many more. The variety of 
their national backgrounds has added a cos- 
mopolitan flavor to our picture books which 
is unprecedented both in time and place. 
American children have become the bene- 
ficiaries of an inheritance from the whole 
artistic world. 

GROWTH OF INFORMATIONAL BOOKS 

Lucy Sprague Mitchell utilized knowledge of 
child development in her Here and Now 
Story Book first published in 1921. She 
pointed out the young child’s preoccupation 
with himself and his interest in daily experi- 
ences. Other writers recognized that such 
simple themes as taking a walk, planting a 
carrot, or listening to night sounds repre- 

28 Meigs, op. cit., notes that William Nicholson’s 
Clever Bill, a picture book, was published in 1927. He 
was an English artist, however. 


sen ted adventure for the three- to five-year- 
olds. Books helped him interpret experience; 
they were not designed to funnel informa- 
tion into his head. E. Boyd Smith’s, The 
Farm Book and The Chicken World, pub- 
lished in 1910, were among the first illustra- 
tive informational books. 

The child’s natural curiosity was extended 
through realistic stories or through straight- 
forward text. The Lucy Fitch Perkins’ Twins 
series gave information through stories. In 
The Japanese Twins, for example, Taro and 
Take are always “nice” children having a 
“nice” time in the series of incidents de- 
scribed. The inferior place of woman symbol- 
ized in the scene in which the new male 
baby’s foot is placed on his big sister’s neck 
was realistic. Most children would miss the 
meaning of this incident which ends as the 
mother sighs and turns her face to the wall. 
Unfortunately, stereotyped characters pre- 
vailed. Reed’s The Earth for Sam and Fen- 
ton’s Along the Hill (1935) exemplify the 
beginning of accurate informational books. 

Since the forties, quantities of informa- 
tional books have rolled from the presses to 
give children facts on almost every conceiv- 
able subject. Series books in the areas of 
science and social studies were important de- 
velopments in this period. The First Books, 
All About Books, and the True Book series 
are examples of the trend. Many books of 
experiments by such authors as the Schnei- 
ders and Freemans have stimulated children's 
science activities. Developments in the fields 
of atomic energy and exploration of space 
have been reflected in recent books for chil- 
dren. Lewellen, Zim, Ley, and Gallant have 
made significant contributions. Biographies 
appeared to satisfy children’s interest in na- 
tional heroes. Daugherty’s Daniel Boone pub- 
lished in 1930 was outstanding. The Child- 
hood of Famous Americans series initiated 
the trend to publish biographies for boys and 
girls in series form. 

Early in the twentieth century, historical 
fiction was written for children. Laura Rich- 
ards quoted from diaries and letters as she 
wrot t Abigail Adams and Her Times (1909) . 



Children's Books of Today , Yesterday , and Tomorrow - 67 


The Horsemen of the Plains (1910) by Jo- 
seph Altsheler related exciting frontier sto- 
ries. The legendary approach to history was 
utilized by Mary MacGregor in Story of 
Greece (1914) . When Knights Were Bold 
brought another period of history to life 
when Eva March Tappan published this 
book in 1911. Coatsworth’s historical fiction 
about America was initiated with Away Goes 
Sally in 1934. 

In the fifties factual books about rockets, 
satellites, and space almost seemed to be fan- 
tasy. This new region of exploration holds 
the promise of exciting adventure tomorrow. 

FOLK TALES 

A famous story teller, Mrs. Gudrun Thorne- 
Thomsen, recorded stories from Norway in 
East O’ the Sun and West O’ the Moon in 
1912. Kate Douglas Wiggin edited tales from 
the Arabian Nights and Ellen Babbitt 
brought forth a collection of Jataka Tales. 
From 1900 to 1920 many collections of folk 
tales were added to the book shelves in homes 
and libraries. Serious scholars recognized the 
values of these tales, and storytellers in 
schools and libraries brought them to the 
lives of children. Padraic Colum, Kate Doug- 
las Wiggin, Parker Fillmore, and others con- 
tributed significant collections. Tales from 
the Far East and Africa were also added in 
the forties and fifties. 

HUMOR AND FANTASY 

Fantasy for children in the first half of the 
twentieth century seemed to come mainly 
from English writers. The boy who refused 
to grow up and lose the beauties of Never 
Never Land, Peter Pan, appeared in a Lon- 
don play in 1904 by J. M. Barrie who made 
the play into a story titled Peter Pan and 
Wendy in 1911. 

Another storyteller, Kenneth Grahame, 
wrote installments in a series of adventures 
of a water rat, a mole, and a toad for his 
small son who was on a vacation. In this way, 
The Wind in the Willows was written and 
published in 1908. 


Selma Lagerloff had been commissioned to 
write a geographical reader on Sweden. After 
collecting material, she decided to present it 
in the form of fantasy. In the story a boy is 
changed into an elf who flies over Sweden 
on a ganders back; The Wonderful Adven- 
tures of Nils appeared in 1907. 

E. Nesbit’s fantasies of magic rings, wishes, 
and invisible children mix humor, the real, 
and the unreal. Written in the early 1900's, 
The Treasure Seekers tells of the Bastable 
family who try to recover a fortune. These 
magic tales were forerunners of the Mary 
Poppins stories. 

Its merits have been debated by librarians 
and teachers for the past fifty years, but hun- 
dreds of children have enjoyed Dorothy, the 
Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Woodman in 
Oz since Frank Baum published The Won- 
derful Wizard of Oz in 1900. 

One of the most delightful books of humor 
appeared in 1926. A. A. Milne created such 
believable characters as Eeyore, Piglet, and 
Pooh for young Christopher Robin, his son. 
The stuffed animals in Winnie the Pooh have 
many adventures which are true fantasy. 

Perhaps books of humor and fantasy re- 
flected the need for escape from the shadows 
of world tensions and war. New theories of 
child development recognized the rights of 
children to be themselves; the mental-health 
movement pointed up the values of rec- 
reation and fun for wholesome personal- 
ity development. McCloskey’s Homer Price, 
Cleary’s Hemy Huggins , and Atwater’s Mr. 
Popper’s Penguins brought humor in realis- 
tic stories. Dr. Seuss in The Five Hundred 
Hats, Lawson in Rabbit Hill, Du Bois in 
Twenty One Balloons, and Norton in The 
Borrowers wrote twentieth-century fantasy 
for children. 

ANIMAL ADVENTURES 

Recognizing children’s interests in animals, 
writers of this century used this theme in fan- 
tasy, adventure, and informational books. 

One of the most famous animals in litera- 
ture is Peter Rabbit who appeared in Mr. 
MacGregor’s garden in 1901. Beatrix Potter 



68 - Meeting Books and Children 

introduced other animals, Jemima Puddle- 
duck and Benjamin Bunny, but the cotton- 
tail family is best known and loved. 

Kipling made the Law of the Jungle real 
for young readers. His animals in The Jungle 
Book maintained their true character as they 
hunted, held councils, and lived with the 
manling, Mowgli. The Just So Stories (1902) 
stimulated children’s imaginations as Kip- 
ling gave delightful accounts of the origin of 
animals. Adventure was added to the animal 
theme in Jack London’s The Call of the Wild 
published in 1903. 

Although many would place Hugh Loft- 
ing’s The Story of Doctor Dolittle (1920) 
with the books of fantasy, children usually 
think of it as an animal story. Boys and girls 
read and re-read Albert Payson Terhune’s 
story of the faithful collie Lad; A Dog (1919). 
In the forties Anderson wrote the Blaze sto- 
ries, Henry delighted children with Misty 
and Brighty, and Farley’s Black Stallion se- 
ries gained popularity. 

The many realistic, informational books 
about specific animals which appeared in the 
fifties represented a new type of literature 
to meet children's interests. 

BOOKS FOR PERSONAL-SOCIAL 
DEVELOPMENT 

The shadows of religious austerity and didac- 
ticism were reduced with the light of under- 
standing of children. Also, the changing atti- 
tudes toward religion were reflected in books 
for children. Religious books were designed 
to help the child appreciate his religion and 
that of others. Dorothy Lathrop’s Animals 
of the Bible was the first Caldecott Award 
book. The Petershams illustrated a beauti- 
ful story. The Christ Child, in 1931. Helen 
Sewell’s effective, sculptured drawings en- 
riched selections from the Bible in A First 
Bible, published in 1934. Elizabeth Orton 
Jones interpreted Bible verses in Small Rain, 
1943. She drew realistic, charming children 
engaged in everyday activities to illustrate 
Bible verses. The gay rhythm band for the 
text, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord" 
is especially appealing. Miss Jones shows chil- 


dren of all races happily playing together. 
One God ; The Ways We Worship Him by 
Fitch (1944) explained religious beliefs and 
rituals of Protestants, Jews, and Catholics. 

Emphasis upon books of manners contin- 
ued into the twentieth century as Gelett Bur- 
gess initiated the cartoon approach in “A 
Manual of Manners for Polite Infants Incul- 
cating Many Juvenile Virtues Both by Pre- 
cept and Example .” The main title was 
Goops and How to be Them. This forerun- 
ner of Munro Leaf’s book on manners was 
published in 1900. 

New developments often reflected war, 
depression, migrations, and other social fac- 
tors in the contemporay scene. Just as in the 
past, children’s books still mirror adult con- 
cerns and interests. Intercultural education 
has taken on new significance. Problems of 
minorities and regional groups were pre- 
sented in the themes of such books as Two 
is a Team by Beim, Thee, Hannah! by De 
Angeli, Blue Willow by Gates, and Cotton in 
My Sack by Lenski. The twentieth century 
recognition of the necessity for understand- 
ing others has led to such books as Yashima’s 
Crow Boy and Estes’ The Hundred Dresses. 

A tremendous increase in series books 
about other lands followed World War II 
and beautiful photography books about 
other lands appeared in the late fifties. The 
importance of security in early family rela- 
tionships led to books about new babies, 
adopted children, and good family relation- 
ships. Other books dealt with such problems 
as fear, adjustment to new situations, and 
acceptance in the peer group. Some of these 
books moralize as did the old didactic stories. 
Unfortunately, many overemphasized the 
theme and failed to meet criteria of good 
books for children. 

POETRY 

“Liquid liveliness," “rare charm," “exquisite 
mastery of words" — these phrases have been 
used to describe the beauty in the poems of 
and for children by Walter De La Mare. 
Songs for Childhood appeared in 1902, be- 
ginning the new century with a work which 



Children’s Books of Today , Yesterday, and Tomorrow - 69 


helped young and old alike perceive infinite 
beauty and enchantment. Eleven years later 
Peacock Pie brought new melodies, nursery 
rhymes, and lairy poems. 

The lun and gaiety of the child’s everyday 
world was interpreted by such poets as A. A. 
Milne, Rachel Field, and Dorothy Aldis. 

The transition in children’s poetry from 
the didactic to the descriptive, from moraliz- 
ing to poems ol fun and nonsense, has at last 
been achieved. 

BOOKS FOR SPECIAL INTERESTS 
Another trend in the twentieth century is the 
increase in the number of special-interest 
books. “How to Do It’’ books, books about 
art, music, and dance, sports stories, and mys- 
teries were produced rapidly. Several new 
magazines appeared and children’s book 
clubs have developed. 


SUMMARY 

When the twentieth century opened, the 
young reader could find upon his bookshelf 
many books primarily intended for adults, 
didactic tales aimed at instruction, some in- 
formational books, and a few stories written 
purely for his pleasure. By mid-century books 
no longer had to teach, preach, or patronize! 
Fun was now acceptable; the child’s natural 
curiosity was both extended and satisfied 
through informational books. 

Forerunners of modern books have been 
identified in this chapter. Part Two describes 
each of the types of books available today 
and establishes criteria for selection. Only a 
genii from a modern Aladdin’s lamp could 
have foretold the tremendous development 
in children’s literature which was to take 
place in the first half of the twentieth cen- 
tury. 


CHILDREN’S BOOKS TOMORROW 


Literature for children has reflected chang- 
ing cultural patterns through the centuries. 
In an era of rapid social change, it is difficult 
to predict adult purposes for publishing and 
selecting books for children. It is possible to 
discern trends which will influence children’s 
books of tomorrow. The concern about con- 
formity, mental health, commitment to dem- 
ocratic values, and world understanding will 
be reflected in future offerings. The contin- 
ued emphasis upon science and technology 
will probably result in more books of infor- 
mation about matter and energy, outer space, 
radiation, magnetic fields, and the expanding 
universe. 

With the advent of foreign languages in 
elementary curricula and the possibilities lor 
world-wide television, children should be 
given the opportunity to enjoy books from 
other countries. Books such as The House 
that Jack Built by Frasconi are already cre- 
ating interest in other languages. It is hoped 
that when children around the world share 
laughter and adventure through a new world 


literature, deeper understandings will de- 
velop. 

More books dealing with emotions and 
understanding of causes of behavior can be 
expected. Self understanding will be fostered, 
tolerance and acceptance of others will be 
emphasized. 

The trend toward patterns of individual- 
ized reading instruction makes it imperative 
to provide many and varied books in each 
school classroom and library. The elemen- 
tary teacher will find it necessary to know 
many books instead of one reading text. As 
educators use such varied materials to meet 
the wide range of individual differences, the 
“grade’’ labels will tend to disappear. A book 
may serve the needs of a child in second grade 
as well as the needs of another child, working 
at a different level, in a sixth grade. The 
sharp division between texts and trade books 
for use in gaining information will decrease. 
Trade books with controlled vocabularies 
will provide interesting literature for begin- 
ning readers. 



70 - Meeting Books and Children 

Teachers are also challenged to develop at- 
titudes toward reading. In his commentary 
on American culture. Golden pointed out 
the importance of developing respect for 
reading: 

Today there seems to be a conspiracy against 
books, or I should say against bookish men. One 
of the accusations made against a Government 
employee I know was that '‘he reads too many 
books.” They made a movie recently . . . about an 
American family with three sons, and the eldest 
son turns out to be a Communist spy. When this 
information is revealed the father tells the FBI 
man, in effect: ‘‘I always knew something like this 
would happen. My other two boys were out there 
playing catch in front of the house, while this fel- 
low (the spy) was always readin’ books .” 27 

Education must prepare the citizens of to- 
morrow to use wisely the increasing hours of 
leisure time. Teachers are challenged to use 
this literature effectively in planned pro- 
grams which provide opportunities for boys 
and girls to become readers. The world of 
books will gain increasing significance for 
children of the Space Age. 

SUMMARY 

The importance of children’s literature in 
the space age is emphasized when teachers 
and librarians become aware of the unique 
purposes of books. Through literature, chil- 
dren learn a common language; they experi- 
ence common emotions of the human fam- 
ily; they gain understanding of their world 
and their place in it. A literature program in 
the elementary school should be mainly con- 
cerned with the development of citizens who 
read . 

A review of the historical development of 
children’s literature revealed the influences 
of adult purposes for children’s reading and 
attitudes toward children in the society. As 
children gained status, and as educators un- 
derstood child nature, moralistic lessons were 
eliminated from children’s books. The de- 

* Harry Golden, Only in America. Cleveland: 
World Publishing Company, 1958. p. 178. 


velopment of modern printing processes 
made it possible to produce quantities of 
beautiful books. Fine artists contributed 
their talents to a growing field. Forerunners 
of each of the modern types of books can be 
found in the earliest literature for children. 

Twentieth century trends in children’s lit- 
erature were identified, and possible future 
developments were predicted. Children's lit- 
erature has come of age! As children “come 
of age" teachers are challenged to guide se- 
lection of books and interpretation. They are 
especially charged with the task of helping 
children develop life-long interests in read- 
ing. 

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 

1. Recall your reading experiences from 
childhood. What were -your favorite 
books? What books were read to you as a 
child? 

2. Look at some of the copies of early books 
for children. Compare content, type, and 
illustrations of these early examples with 
modern books. 

3. Identify adult purposes in several recent 
books for children. 

4. Begin your reading of children’s books by 
reviewing a modern book of each type — 
humor, information, picture, folk tale, 
biography, animals, or other lands. 

5. If possible, bring your favorite book to 
class and discuss it with others. What parts 
did you like best as a child? Do you en- 
joy the book now upon re-reading? 

6. Interview five adults of different ages. In- 
quire about their favorite books and 
childhood reading interests. 


RELATED READINGS 

Adams, Bess Porter. About Books and Children. New 
York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1953. 

Chapters I to IV relate early philosophies, cultural 
influences, and effects of psychology on the devel- 
opment of children’s literature. Chapter XIII pre- 
sents the history of children’s magazines and 



Children's Books of Today , Yesterday , and Tomorrow - 71 


Chapter XV contributes a history of book illus- 
tration. 

Arbuthnot, May Hill. Children and Books. Revised 
edition. Chicago: Scott, Foresman and Company, 
1957. 

Chapter III emphasizes the puritanical influence 
and describes the didactic literature available. The 
origin of ballads is described in Chapter V. Chapter 
VII illustrates early poetry, and the origin of folk 
tales is reviewed in Chapter XI. 

Blackstock, Josephine. Songs for Sixpence. Illustrated 
by Maurice Bower. Chicago: Follett Publishing 
Company, 1955. 

This is an interesting story of John Newbery who 
became a London bookseller. The lively action in- 
cludes a picture of eighteenth-century London. 
Good background information is provided for both 
teacher and children. 

Dalgleish, Alice. A Book for Jennifer , A Story of 
London Children in the Eighteenth Century and 
of Mr. Newbery’ s Juvenile Library. Drawings by 
Katherine Milhous. New York: Charles Scribner's 
Sons, 1940. 

The title page and chapter-title pages resemble 
early books, and the story reflects eighteenth- 
century attitudes toward children. This will be 
enjoyed by both teachers and pupils. 

Epstein, Sam and Beryl. The First Book of Printing. 
Pictures b) Liiszlo Roth. New York: Franklin Watts, 
Inc , 1955 

This book for children also will be useful to the 
teacher in understanding various printing processes. 
Folmsbec, Beulah A Little Hist on* of the Hornbook. 
Boston: The Horn Book, Inc., 1942. 

A tinv volume, the size of the early hornbooks, 
gives the recipe for making sheets of horn and tells 
how the horn book was made. 

Hazard, Paul. Books Children and Men. Boston: The 
Horn Book, Inc., 1947. 

Glowing prose illuminates the relationship of 
literature to life and stresses the values of provid- 
ing opportunities to bring literature to children. 
Criteria for good books for children are set forth. 
Jordan, Alice M. From Rollo to Tom Sawyer. Boston: 
The Horn Book, Inc., 1948. 

Biographies of authors of children’s books of the 
latter half of the nineteenth century help the 
teacher understand books of this period. 

Kiefer, Monica. American Children Through Their 


Books 1700-1835. Philadelphia: University of 
Pennsylvania Press, 1948. 

The significance of the changing status of children 
in the development of literature is clearly deline- 
ated. Influences of educational philosophers is 
illustrated in this reference. Descriptions of chil- 
dren’s clothing and customs are especially interest- 
ing. 

Mahony, Bertha E., Louise Latimer and Beulah 
Folmsbee. Illustrators of Children’s Books 1744 — 
1945. Boston: The Horn Book, Inc., 1947. 

Part I traces the history of picture books in 
England and America. Reproductions of early 
illustrations are excellent. Graphic processes in 
children’s books are dearly explained. 

Meigs, Cornelia, et al. A Critical History of Children's 
Literature. New York: The Macmillan Company, 
1953. 

An interesting survey of books for children from 
earliest times to the middle of the twentieth cen- 
tury. The organization by chronological periods 
emphasizes influences upon children’s literature 
and trehds. Many examples of books for children 
in each period of history provide details regarding 
the development of children’s literature. 

Muir, Percy. English Children’s Books 1600 to 1900 . 
London: Batsford, 1954. 

The development of literature for children in 
England is outlined in detail. The section describ- 
ing the work of early illustrators of children's books 
is particularly useful. 

Sloane, William. Children’s Books in England and 
America in the Seventeenth Century. New York: 
Kings Crown Press, Columbia University, 1955. 

A valuable account of folk material, books of good 
ad\ice, and religious books available for children 
in the se\enteenth century is presented. 

Smith. Dora V. “Children’s Books — Yesterday and 
Todav.” ALA Bulletin 51:254-59, April, 1957. 

A concise summary of trends in children's literature 
and influences upon its development. 

St. John. Judith. The Osborne Collection of Early 
Children’s Books 1566—1919 , A Catalogue. Toronto: 
Toronto Public Library, 1958. 

This catalogue describes approximately 3000 books 
in the Osborne collection The books are classified 
according to interests such as nursery and fairy 
tales, poetry, instruction, and stories. The repro- 
ductions from these early books are excellent. 








3 -Children Read Pictures 


Annie, aged two and one-half, returned home 
from a morning visit with her four-year-old 
playmate. While waiting for her lunch, Ann 
looked thoughtfully at her mother and said, 
“Do you know, Robin can’t read.” There was 
a mixture of pity and amazement in her 
voice, for Annie could “read.” True, she 
could not identify the printed words, but she 
could read pictures with understanding. In 


AT MOTHER’S KNEE 

Children cannot be introduced to books too 
soon. At age two and one-half, Annie had al- 
ready entered the world of literature. To 
know exactly why she enjoyed books and 
Robin did not, would require an intimate 
knowledge of their family backgrounds. We 
know that Annie came from a home in which 
books were a part of her natural environ- 
ment. She saw her mother, father, and sister 
reading. She frequently went to the library 
with them. After they had selected their 
books, Annie was taken to the children’s 


fact, her favorite entertainment was “read- 
ing” books or magazines by herself, with her 
mother, or any other willing interpreter of 
the printed page. Although only two and a 
half, Annie had discovered the joys and pleas- 
ures which can be derived from reading. She 
was amazed and a little sad to learn that all 
children actually did not share her favorite 
pastime. 


room for her books. The bedtime-story was 
a ritual in her life. But enjoyment of books 
was not limited to just this time; rainy days 
meant reading days; the quiet and lonely 
time right after her daddy had gone to work 
and her sister to school; a few moments be- 
fore her nap-time; at dusk when the family 
was waiting dinner for father; these were all 
times when Annie could say, “Read to me, 
please.” 

Annie is learning to love books, as she has 
many opportunities to snuggle up close to 

75 


Enjoyment of literature begins 
“at Mother’s knee.” Photo- 
graphed by Donald Bowser. 



her mother and father for a story time. She 
is also increasing her vocabulary as she points 
to pictures and names them, or hears new 
words used in the context of the story. The 
language development of children of this age 
is phenomenal; preoccupation with words 
and the sounds of words is characteristic of 
the very young child. Books help to fulfill 
this insatiable desire to learn new and more 
words. 

The young child who has the opportunity 
to hear and enjoy many stories is also getting 
ready to learn how to read. The process of 
learning to read should hold no terror for 
Annie, only the opportunity to become inde- 
pendent in a skill which she knows gives 
pleasure. Her experiential background has 
been widened as a result of exposure to many 
books. Research has shown that the nature 
and extent of children's past experiences in- 

76 


fluence their progress in learning to read. 
The meaning and comprehension of the 
printed page depends upon the meaning and 
understanding which the reader brings to 
that page. Annie’s background of experience 
is rich and not limited to books alone. How- 
ever, her enjoyment and appreciation of the 
world of literature will facilitate the transi- 
tion from hearing stories to reading stories 
independently. 

First Books 

Frequently, young children’s “first books” 
are the family magazines. Toddlers can look 
at these, find pictures of “mother,” “daddy,” 
“sister,” and even themselves. If pages are 
bent or torn no serious damage has been 
done. Recognizing this need of the young 
child to identify objects, publishers have pro- 
duced simple “first books.” These are usually 



Children Read Pictures - 77 


constructed with heavy, durable pages and 
portray such familiar objects as favorite toys, 
clothing, and animals. “First books” may 
have an accompanying text, but there is little 
or no continuity of plot to these stories. The 
fun is in the naming of the pictures. The il- 
lustrations should be simple, uncluttered, 
and easily identifiable, with usually only one 
object, or a group of two or three on a page. 
Baby's First Book, illustrated by Garth Wil- 
liams, is an excellent example of this type of 
book. Francoise has written a “naming book” 
for the preschool child entitled The Things 
I Like. In her usual peasantlike style, the au- 
thor-illustrator has a little girl, a boy, and a 
dog tell the things they like: animals, people 
(this is the dog’s preference) , good things to 
eat, picnics, vacations, books, parties, the cir- 
cus, Easter, and Christmas. The ending of 
this book invites the readers’ participation 
with the question, “What do you like?” 

“Participation” Books 

The secret of sharing any book or picture 
with young children is to involve the child 
in some way. In looking at a picture in Mar- 
garet Friskey’s Seven Diving Ducks , the 
reader will ask, “Show me the ducks that are 
in the water? Show me the ducks that are on 
land? Where is the little duck who wouldn’t 
dive?” Young children enjoy riddlelike ques- 
tions. For example, when sharing Slobod- 
kina’s Caps For Sale f the child can be asked, 
“Find the monkey — not the one in the red 
hat, not the one in the blue hat, but the one 
in the green hat!” Such questioning will help 
children develop visual discrimination, but, 
more importantly, it will make story-time 
fun. Some books have “built-in participa- 
tion” as part of their design. These books 
may well serve as the transition between toys 
and real books. In fact, two such books, by 
Clark, All By Himself and All By Herself, 
are produced by a toy company. These book- 
lets with their cloth pages and sturdy design 
help the child learn to button real buttons, 
zip zippers, snap snappers, and lace pretend 
shoes. The child reader is invited to partici- 
pate in some way on each page. These books 


are perennial favorites with the two- to three- 
year-old group. 

Equally popular with younger children are 
two participation books by Dorothy Kun- 
hardt, Pat the Bunny and The Telephone 
Book . In Pat the Bunny, the child is invited 
to use senses other than sight and sound. A 
“pattable” bunny made of flannel is on one 
page, flowers that really smell on another, 
and Daddy’s unshaven face, represented by 
sandpaper roughness, is on still another. 
Young children literally wear out this “tac- 
tile” book. The Telephone Book capitalizes 
on children’s delight in pretending to tele- 
phone. Two small cardboard phones on 
strings are provided at the beginning and end 
of the book. Throughout the text, sugges- 
tions are made for the child to phone his 
grandmother, the market, and other places 
in his everyday experience. 

H. A. Rey has provided for participation 
in some of his books by the simple device of 
placing a surprise picture under a flap of 
each page. In Where's My Baby ? children are 
asked to look for the young kangaroo — lift 
the flap, and there he is all cozy in his 
mother’s pocket! Similarly designed books 
by the same author-illustrator include the 
titles Anybody at Home ? and Let's Feed the 
Animals. The sophisticated cut-out books by 
Bruno Munari have immediate appeal for 
young children. Boys and girls are surprised 
and pleased by the unusual arrangement of 
the pages in these books which were first 
printed in Italy. In Animals For Sale 1 a tall 
gentleman is walking a flamingo. The text 
asks if the reader would like a flamingo and 
the reply is given, “No, it might peck at the 
wallpaper. Show me another animal.” By lift- 
ing a smaller page, the reader sees a porcu- 
pine attached to the same leash and walking 
with the same tall gentleman. An armadillo, 
bat, and centipede are discovered under sub- 
sequently smaller pages. In Who's There? 
Open the Door!, the first double spread shows 
Lucy the giraffe, having arrived all the way 

1 Bruno Munari, Translated by Maria Cimino, 
Animals For Sale. Cleveland: The World Publishing 
Company, 1957. 



78 - Knowing Children's Literature 

from Lisbon, with a crate. Open the crate 
(which is a page) and there is Peggy the zebra 
from Paris with a trunk (a smaller page) and 
so on. One three-year-old was first introduced 
to this book by knocking at the cover and re- 
peating the title of Who's There ? Open the 
Door ! It became a favorite book which he 
requested again and again. The preliminary 
participation of knocking on the cover be- 
came an established ritual. 

All these “participation books” are well 
constructed for their unique uses. They en- 
courage children to really become involved 
in the story and they make children's intro- 
duction to books fun. Some “gadget” books 
may appeal to the adult buyer, but they may 
be torn or broken when manipulated by chil- 
dren. Sturdy construction is an essential re- 
quirement for books for the youngest. Sim- 
plicity of format and clear, recognizable pic- 
tures are equally important. 

ABC Books and Counting Books 

ALPHABET BOOKS 

Parents and teachers frequently use alphabet 
and counting books in a similar fashion to 
“first books” and participation books. In 
ABC books only one or two objects are pre- 
sented on a page; they must be easily identifi- 
able and meaningful to the child. Since the 
text is necessarily limited, the pictures usually 
“carry” the story. Many alphabet books are 
written in verse, however, which give the 
added interest of rhythm and rhyme. 

An ABC Book by C. B. Falls is a simple 
alphabet book based upon pictures of ani- 
mals from the zoo and farmyard. The Color 
ABC by Nancy Larrick has large, realistically 
colored illustrations by Rene Martin. Chil- 
dren enjoy these clear, simple pictures. While 
there is no continuity to the text, some in- 
formation is given for each animal or object 
portrayed. Wanda Gdg’s ABC Bunny is about 
the adventures of one little rabbit. In A Is 
for Annabelle, Tasha Tudor utilizes verse 
form and daintily colored pictures of an old- 
fashioned doll to make a charming alphabet 


book. Anglund has chosen Mother Goose 
rhymes to illustrate each letter in her gay, 
quaint ABC book, In a Pumpkin Shell . Fritz 
Eichenberg's Ape in a Cape is a humorous 
alphabet book which is liked by young chil- 
dren. They will remember his amusing pic- 
tures of a “Goat in a Boat” and “Fox in a 
Box,” along with the rhyming captions. 
Charlotte Steiner's ABC is illustrated with 
brightly-colored pictures of the activities of 
young children. Boys and girls identify with 
the many familiar situations of this book. 
Margaret Wise Brown has written the Sleepy 
ABC which Esphyr Slobodkina illustrated in 
her distinctive stylized fashion. Intended as a 
bed-time story, this book is also written in 
rhyme form. It includes such rhymes as: 

K is for Kissing your mother goodnight 
L is for Listening when they turn out the light 
M is for Mother who tucks you in tight 
N is for the dark and starry night . 2 

Two ABC books for somewhat older chil- 
dren are the handsome volumes of A For The 
Ark by Duvoisin and Phyllis McGinley's All 
Around the Town. Duvoisin's book is based 
upon the Old Testament story of the Flood 
in which Noah decided to call all the ani- 
mals to the ark in alphabetical order. On 
large double-page spreads the animals march 
through this book in a continuous kind of 
picture-frieze. The drama of the impending 
deluge is indicated as the clouds grow darker 
and more ominous on each page. Phyllis Mc- 
Ginley’s book contains lively, gay verse about 
city sights and sounds. The illustrations by 
Helen Stone reflect busy city life. An example 
of the alliterative verse which is given for 
“E,” follows: 

E is an Escalator 
That gives an elegant ride 
You step on the stair 
With an easy air 

And up and up you glide. 

2 Margaret Wise Brown, Sleepy ABC, Illustrated by 
Esphyr Slobodkina. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shep- 
ard Co., Inc., 1953. Unpaged. 



Children Read Pictures - 79 



is for H AT 



Green, yellow, or red. 
Stovepipe or turban, 

It sits on your head, 
Remove it when bathing 
Or when going to bed. 


h 


is for h a t 



From Puptents and Pebbles by William Jay Smith. 
Illustrated by Juliet Kepes. Little, Brown, 1959. 


It’s nicer than scaling ladders 
Or scrambling ’round a hill, 

For you climb and climb 
But all the time 
You’re really standing still. 3 

Puptents and Pebbles by William Jay 
Smith is a delightfully modern nonsense 
ABC. The pictures by Juliet Kepes are bright 
and lively, quite in keeping with the amus- 
ing rhymes for each letter. The verse for 
“H” will appeal to the humor of six- and 
seven-year-olds. 

H is for HAT 

‘ Green, yellow, or red, 

Stovepipe or turban, 

It sits on your head; 

Remove it when bathing 

•Phyllis McGinley, All Around the Town. Illus- 
trated by Helen Stone. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott 
Company, 1948. Unpaged. 


Or when going to bed. 

H is for hat. 4 

Another humorous alphabet book has been 
written by Beverly Cleary and is entitled The 
Hulabaloo ABC . Each letter is the base for 
a brief bit of rhyme about the sounds on a 
farm. For example, "G is for grunt. That’s 
the pig. Nothing moves him. He’s too big.” 
or, ‘‘S for Sh-h-h. Hear a squeak in the hay? 
Hush. It's a mouse who scuttles away.” 5 
Bruno Munari has created a beautifully de- 
signed and humorous alphabet book. Simply 
titled ABC, this book will capture the 
imagination of children and adults. 

COUNTING BOOKS 

Children enjoy the natural participation 
which is included in every counting book. 
Many of the same author-illustrators who 
have published alphabet books, have also 
written counting books. Fritz Eichenberg’s 
Dancing in the Moon explains the numbers 
one through twenty in one-line rhymes. Fran- 
coise’s book, Jeanne-Marie Counts Her Sheep, 
is an amusing story which involves much 
counting. Jeanne-Marie dreams of all the 
lambs which her pet sheep, Patapon, will 
have and what she may purchase from their 
sale. At the conclusion, Patapon has only 
one lamb, and Jeanne-Marie can make only 
a very small purchase. Two Lonely Ducks, 
by Duvoisin, includes the numbers from one 
through ten in a simple but amusing story. 
Tasha Tudor’s book, 1 is One, is artistically 
illustrated in her old-fashioned dainty style. 
Numbers one through twenty are explained 
in verse form. A very simple, but much loved, 
counting book is Lillian Moore’s My First 
Counting Book . Garth Williams’ soft fuzzy- 
looking animals illustrate this book and ac- 
count for much of its appeal. Margaret Fris- 
key’s Chicken Little Count-to-Ten presents 
the concept of counting as a little chicken 

4 William Jay Smith, Puptents and Pebbles. Illus- 
trated by Juliet Kepes. Boston: Little, Brown & Com- 
pany, 1959. p. 13. 

•Beverly Cleary, The Hulabaloo ABC. Illustrated 
by Earl Thollander. Berkeley, Calif.: Parnassus Press, 
1960. Unpaged. 



80 - Knowing Children’s Literature 

meets one cow, then two elephants, three 
camels and so on. 

Recent years have seen greater originality 
and variation in the themes of counting 
books. Charlotte Zolotow’s One Step, Two 
. . ., illustrated by Duvoisin, is an interest- 
ing departure from the usual animal count- 
ing book. Here little Ellen takes a walk and 
her steps are counted from one through 
twelve. Watson's What Is One? acquaints 
children with numbers and counting by using 
examples from nature. With descriptive prose 
and pictures, number concepts are presented 
in a dialogue between two children: 

“What is one?” said Linda. 

“That big pine tree against the sky, that is one,” 
said Peter. 

“What is two?" said Linda. 

“See our tracks behind us, two long (sled) tracks 
in the snow? One, two, that is two.” said 
Peter. 6 

Doisneau in his book, 12345 , has used attrac- 
tive and fanciful photographs to illustrate 
children in number-oriented situations. Gay 
verses accompany each photograph as in the 
following example: 

MOTHER GOOSE 

For many children, Mother Goose 8 is their 
first introduction to the world of literature. 
Even a one-year-old child will respond with 
delight to “Pat-a-Cake! Pat-a-Cake!” or “This 
little pig went to market.” Many of the 
Mother Goose rhymes and jingles continue 
to be favorites among the fours and fives. 
What is the attraction of Mother Goose 
which makes her so appealing to these young 
children? What accounts for her survival 
through these many years? Much of the lan- 
guage which is used is obscure. No modern- 

8 Nancy Dingman Watson, What Is One? Illustrated 
by Aldren A. Watson. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 
Inc., 1954. Unpaged. 

7 Robert Doisneau and Arthur Gregor, 12345 . Phil- 
adelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1956. Unpaged. 


Eleven, eleven 
No longer six or seven 
I have a birthday cake, 
eleven candles 
And a wish to make 
And now 

As I blow the candles out 

What do you think my wish is about? 7 


Another favorite counting book, particularly 
with five- and six-year-olds, is Esther K. 
Meeks’ One Is the Engine. Here the child is 
encouraged to count while identifying the 
different cars on trains. 

John Langstaff’s Over in the Meadow, 
which has been so beautifully illustrated by 
Rojankovsky, is based upon the old counting 
rhyme and song of that title. Children love 
this book not only for the full-page colored 
illustrations of the sunny meadow and the 
cool pond where the frogs and beavers live, 
but for the lilt and rhyme of the poem. They 
enjoy chanting the refrains at the end of each 
verse. This book, although it involves count- 
ing, has much of the charm and flavor of fa- 
vorite Mother Goose rhymes. 


day child has any understanding of curds and 
whey, yet he delights in Miss Muffet. Noth- 
ing in current literature has replaced the 
venerable Mother Goose for the nursery- 
school age. 

Appeals of Mother Goose 

LANGUAGE PATTERN 

Much of the appeal of Mother Goose is in 
the varied language pattern; the rhythm and 
rhyme of the verses; the alliteration of many 
lines such as: “Wee Willie Winkie runs 
through the town,” or “Deedle, deedle, 
dumpling, my son John.” Children love the 
sound of the words for they aie experiment- 

8 See Chapter 2 for the development and back- 
ground of Mother Goose. 



Children Read Pictures - 81 


ing with language in this period of their 
development. The greatest growth in lan- 
guage development is achieved between the 
ages of approximately eighteen months and 
six years. The child learns new words every- 
day; he likes to try them out, to chant them 
in his play. Mother Goose rhymes help 
satisfy this preoccupation with language 
patterns. 

PARTICIPATION 

Mother Goose rhymes offer the young child 
many opportunities for active participation 
and response. Most of the verses are short and 
easily memorized; they can be chanted in 
unison, or children may join in the refrains. 
Some of the rhymes, such as “Pease Porridge 
Hot," “London Bridge," or “Ring a Ring 
o’Roses," are games or involve direct action 
from the child. Other verses include count- 
ing, as in: 

1, 2, buckle my shoe; 

3, 4, shut the door; 

5, 6, pick up sticks; 

7, 8, lay them straight; 

9, 10, a good fat hen; 

11, 12, dig and delve; 

13, 14, maids are courting; 

15, 16, maids in the kitchen; 

17, 18, maids are waiting; 

19, 20, my platter’s empty. 

Children of five and six enjoy answering the 
riddles in some of the Mother Goose rhymes 
or attempting to say their favorite tongue 
twisters. Every child likes to fool someone 
with the well-known riddle, “As I was going 
to St. Ives, I met a man with seven wives." 
Less well-known, but thoroughly enjoyed is: 

Two legs sat upon three legs, 

With one leg in his lap; 

In comes four legs, 

Runs away with one leg, 

Up jumps two legs 
Catches up three legs, 

Throws it after four legs, 

And makes him bring back one leg. 


It is all very clear after you know that one 
leg is a leg of meat; two legs, a man; three 
legs, a stool; and four legs, a dog. Children 
never fail to be delighted in the successful 
recitation of the entire verse of “Peter Piper 
picked a peck of pickled peppers." In various 
ways children may participate in Mother 
Goose rhymes. 

NARRATIVE QUALITY 

Another attraction of many of the Mother 
Goose rhymes is their narrative quality; they 
tell a good story. In just six lines, “Little 
Miss Muffet" proves to be an exciting tale 
with action, a climax, and a satisfying con- 
clusion. This is also true of “Simple Simon," 
“Sing a Song of Sixpence," and “The Old 
Woman In the Shoe." These stories in 
Mother Goose are characterized by their 
quick action. They are not moralistic, but 
justice does prevail. Notice the ending of 
“The Queen of Hearts": 

The Queen of Hearts 
She made some tarts 
All on a summer's day. 

The Knave of Hearts, 

He stole the tarts 

And took them clear away. 

The King of Hearts 
Called for the tarts, 

And beat the Knave full sore. 

The Knave of Hearts 

Brought back the tarts 

And vowed he'd steal no more. 

Instead of being disturbed by the verse, chil- 
dren readily accept the natural punishment 
of Little Polly Flinders: 

Little Polly Flinders 
Sat among the cinders, 

Warming her pretty little toes! 

Her Mother came and caught her, 

And whipped her little daughter 
For spoiling her nice new clothes. 

Five- and six-year-olds like the long accumu- 
lative stories in Mother Goose. One of their 
favorites is “The House That Jack Built." 



82 - Knowing Children's Literature 

CHARACTERS 

Children enjoy the short stories in many of 
these verses and they enjoy knowing the 
characters who are interesting, likeable peo- 
ple. Old King Cole is a jolly old soul, Old 
Mother Hubbard tried to find her poor dog 
a bone, and although Tommy Lynn put the 
pussy in the well, Johnny Stout pulled her 
out! “The Crooked Man” has a crooked 
smile, and Mary did love her lamb. Not all 
the characters in Mother Goose are likeable. 
Unpleasant character traits are suggested by 
“Crosspatch,” “Tom, Tom, the piper’s son,” 
and “Georgie Porgie.” Teachers would hope 
their pupils would not emulate this student: 

A dillar, a dollar 
A ten-o'clock scholar, 

What makes you come so soon? 

You used to come at ten o’clock 
And now you come at noon. 

The behavior of the “Little Girl With a 
Curl” is familiar to adults and children alike: 

There was a little girl and she had a little curl 
Right in the middle of her forehead. 

When she was good, she was very, very good 
But when she was bad she was horrid. 

CONTENT 

The theme or content of the verses is well 
within the interest of young children. Many 
of the rhymes about animals are favorites. 
There are “The Three Little Kittens,” “The 
Cat and the Fiddle,” “The Mouse Who Ran 
Up the Clock,” “Old Mother Hubbard’s 
Dog,” “Mary's Little Lamb,” and “Pussy 
Cat, Pussy Cat.” Many of the animals are 
personified; some are not. For example, the 
kitten in “I Love Little Pussy” is very real: 

I love little Pussy 
Her coat is so warm 
And if I don't hurt her, 

She'll do me no harm 
So I’ll not pull her tail 
Nor drive her away, 

But Pussy and I 
Very gently will play. 


Some of the verses are about simple everyday 
experiences and include such incidents as 
“Lucy Lockett” losing her purse. The Three 
Kittens “losing their mittens,” and “Little 
Bo Peep who lost her sheep.” Children’s 
pranks are seen in “Ding, dong, bell!” and 
“Georgie Porgie.” Everyday misfortunes are 
included in “Jack and Jill” and “Humpty 
Dumpty.” “Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater” had 
a housing problem, as did the “Old Woman 
in the Shoe.” There are several verses about 
the weather, a concern of both young and 
old. The pleading request of one boy for 
“Rain, rain go away” reflects the feelings of 
all children. Sympathetic understanding is 
felt in the favorite, “The North Wind.” 

The North Wind doth blow, 

We soon shall have snow 

And what will poor Robin do then? 

Poor thing! 

He'll sit in a barn. 

To keep himself warm. 

And hide his head under his wing 
Poor thing! 

HUMOR 

A major appeal of Mother Goose is the varied 
humor. There is the jolly good fun of: 

One misty, moisty morning 
When cloudy was the weather, 

I chanced to meet an old man 
Clothed all in leather; 

He began to compliment 
And I began to grin — 

“How do you do” and “How do you do” 

And “How do you do” again! 

Two seven-year-olds interpreted this verse in 
action by pretending to pass each other; as 
one moved to the left, the other moved in 
the same direction. Their movements were 
perfect for this amusing situation which has 
happened to everyone. Young children have 
a rather primitive sense of humor which de- 
lights in other people’s misfortune. This type 
of humor is satisfied by the verses about “Jack 
and Jill” and “Dr. Foster”: 



Children Read Pictures - 83 


Doctor Foster went to Gloucester 
In a shower of rain; 

He stepped in a puddle up to his middle 
And never went there again. 

When this kind of humor is exaggerated it 
may become sadistic. This explains children’s 
delight in: 

Fa, Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum 
I smell the blood of an Englishman; 

Be he alive or be he dead 

I’ll grind his bones to make my bread. 

They are equally insensitive to the farmer’s 
wife cutting off the tails of the three blind 
mice, or the dire punishment of “the old man 
who would not say his prayers so I took him 
by the left leg and threw him down the 
stairs.’’ Such action is fun and thoroughly rel- 
ished. There is much pure nonsense in 
Mother Goose which tickles children’s funny 
bones. One such verse is: 

I’ll tell you a story 
About Jack and Nory; 

And now my story’s begun. 

I’ll tell you another 
About his brother; 

And now my story’s done. 

Children enjoy similar nonsense verses as rep- 
resented by “Rub-a Dub-Dub’’ and “Three 
Wise Men of Gotham.” 

Different Editions of Mother Goose 

One of the appeals of any Mother Goose book 
is the attractiveness of its illustrations and 
format. Children today are fortunate, indeed, 
to be able to choose among many beautifully 
illustrated Mother Goose editions. There is 
no one best Mother Goose book, for this is 
a matter of individual preference. The chil- 
dren in every family deserve at least one of 
the better editions, however. 

ENGLISH EDITIONS 

Three classic English editions of Mother 
Goose have been treasured for many genera- 
tions. While they are perhaps not the most 


appropriate selections for the modern Amer- 
ican child, they still appeal to children. They 
are important for the student of children's 
literature for they are the forerunners of 
many of our present editions. Mother Goose, 
or The Old Nursery Rhymes, illustrated by 
Kate Greenaway, is one of these well-loved 
books. Tiny in format, the pictures are 
quaint, precise and old-fashioned. Her chil- 
dren have a quiet decorum which is in keep- 
ing with their nineteenth century finery. 
However, there is action in these tiny pic- 
tures and a feeling for the English rural coun- 
tryside and villages. 

Quite different in feeling is the edition by 
Arthur Rackham entitled Mother Goose The 
Old Nursery Rhymes. Rackham uses three 
different types of illustrations for his verses; 
pen and ink sketches, silhouettes, and colored 
pictures. The latter are painted in the typical 
Rackham fashion with eerie trees and weird 
little men peering from under their mush- 
room hats. The illustrations for “The Man 
in the Wilderness” shows one tree with a 
kindly face and long grotesque arms comb- 
ing another tree’s branches! The little man 
with large pointed ears obviously belongs to 
the elf family. Some of Rackham’s pictures 
are almost frightening. For example, in the 
illustration for “St. Ives,” the man and his 
seven wives are weird in appearance with 
huge bony hands and tall dark hats. They 
resemble witches in a Halloween parade sur- 
rounded by grinning cats. This is a fascinat- 
ing, yet somewhat frightening edition of 
Mother Goose. 

Leslie Brooke’s Ring O’ Roses presents a 
completely different impression from that of 
the Rackham edition. His pictures are de- 
lightfully humorous and gay. The pigs in 
“This Little Pig Went to Market” are com- 
pletely happy and self-satisfied except for the 
poor dejected fellow who had no roast beef. 
Even Brooke’s crooked man has a gay crooked 
smile. There is laughter and simplicity in 
this well-loved edition. 

A more recent English edition of Mother 
Goose is Lavender's Blue compiled by Kath- 
leen Lines in 1954. The illustrations by Har- 



t ' 



Weird trees with faces and fingers 
and impish gnomes are characteristic 
of Rackham’s work. From Mother 
Goose Nursery Rhymes by Arthur 
Rackham. Appleton, 1913. Copyright, 
1913, Arthur Rackham. 


old Jones are unmistakably English in set 
ting, costume and mood. The majority of 
the colored pictures are done in muted tones 
of blue, green and brown. “Old King Cole,” 
“I had a little nut-tree,” and “Sing a song of 
Sixpence” are more richly colored scenes with 
settings in palaces or royal courtyards. Other 
settings include the rural English country- 
side with winding lanes and thatched roofed 
houses, English villages, and a beautifully 
composed picture of all the steeples in Lon- 
don for “Gay go up and gay go down, to 
ring the bells of London town.” This is a 
distinctive edition which holds the interest 
of five-, six-, and seven-year-olds. 

84 


AMERICAN EDITIONS 

Counterparts for the above editions may be 
seen in some of the newer American editions 
today. The good humor which is so charac- 
teristic of Brooke is equally characteristic of 
Rojankovsky’s illustrations in his Tall Book 
of Mother Goose. His pictures are bright and 
gay; his children are natural looking, some- 
times homely and disheveled. It is one of the 
few editions which portray children in to- 
day’s modern dress. Rojankovsky is particu- 
larly skilled in capturing children’s expres- 
sions. His “Little Miss Muffet” is terrified; 
“Lucy Locket” is thoughtful and pensive; 
“Jack Horner” is a picture of greedy inno- 



cence. No child ever looked more angelic 
than the first picture of “The Little Girl 
With a Curl," or more devilish than the sec- 
ond! There is no doubt of the action in some 
of the stories — one can almost hear the howls 
of the girls after Georgie Porgie has kissed 
them and run away. Rojankovsky’s animals 
are equally appealing. The fleece of Mary’s 


“Lucy Locket.* 9 Rojankovsky portrays modern nat- 
ural-looking children. From The Tall Book of 
Mother Goose by Feodor Rojankovsky. Harper, 1942. 




ucy Locket 
lost her pocket, 

Kitty Fisher 
found it; 

There was not a penny in it, 
Hut a ribbon round it. 



A sell-satisfied pig goes to market in Brooke*s hu- 
morous style. From A Nursery Rhyme Picture Book , 
No. 2, by Leslie Brooke. Frederick ¥ame, n.d. 


lamb can almost be felt. And the coat of the 
pussy cat in “Little Robin Redbreast” looks 
sleek and silky. This Mother Goose book is as 
modern and as much fun as the cowboy suit 
and pistol with which Rojankovsky has 
dressed his “Jack Be Nimble." 

The Real Mother Goose by Blanche Fisher 
Wright has long been an established favorite 
in American nurseries. The large traditional 
pictures remind one of Brooke's work, but 
they lack his delightful humor. First pub- 
lished in 1916, this book is certainly not as 
modern as is Rojankovsky’s. However, it con- 
tinues to be a favorite as it is passed down 
from one generation to another. 

The Mother Goose edition by Tasha Tu- 
dor is reminiscent of the work of Kate Green- 
away. Her soft pastel pictures are quaint and 
charming; her characters loveable. The cos- 
tumes of the characters represent many pe- 
riods, American Colonial and pioneer, me- 
dieval, and Elizabethan. The settings of the 

85 


86 - Knowing Children's Literature 



interiors are as authentic as the costumes. 
The rural scenes portray the changing sea- 
sons delightfully. The little miniatures in 
flowered frames on the end pages and title 
page add to the old-fashioned feeling of this 
book; it is a cozy volume which will please 
the discriminating reader. 

One of the most beautiful editions of 
Mother Goose is The Book of Nursery and 
Mother Goose Rhymes by Marguerite de An- 
geli. This is a large book containing nearly 


“Little Bo Peep.” Tiny, quaint figures in 
old-fashioned dress are characteristic of 
Greenaway’s children. From Mother Goose 
or the Old Nursery Rhymes by Kate 
Greenaway. Frederick Warne, n.d. 


“Little Bo Peep.” Reminiscent of Greenaway, Tasha Tudor’s children are pensive and 
old-fashioned in their pastel colors. From Mother Goose by Tasha Tudor. Walck, 1944. 




Children Read Pictures - 87 


two hundred fifty pictures, some of which are 
full-page illustrations painted in soft pas- 
tels. No one could ever forget the lovely pic- 
ture which illustrates “Ride a cock horse to 
Banbury Cross.” The fine lady on her beauti- 
ful horse is a joy indeed, and so is the rich 
detail of the English countryside. There is 
an “English feeling” in this edition which is 
similar to Lavender's Blue . Marguerite de 
Angeli’s children and babies are beautifully 
portrayed. This is an edition to be shared, 
loved, and treasured from one generation to 
the next. 

The Tenggren Mother Goose by Gustaf 
Tenggren is more stylized than any of the 
other ones mentioned. Children will enjoy 
his fat rounded figures that have a certain 


similarity to Walt Disney's cartoons. Teng- 
gren uses bright, rich colors. Unfortunately, 
many tiny extraneous decorations appear 
throughout the text. One page includes a 
picture of a wind mill, when there is no men- 
tion of one in the verses given; another pic- 
tures a black lamb which does not relate to 
any of the rhymes on the page. Such details 
might prove confusing to young children. 

There are many other editions of Mother 
Goose. Space only permits a discussion of 
some of the better ones. No matter what edi- 
tion is used, however, children should be ex- 
posed to the rhythm and rhyme of Mother 
Goose. It is part of their literary heritage 
and may serve as their first introduction to 
the realm of literature. 


“I Love Little Pussy." In soft pastels de Angeli portrays sweet faces and delicate hands. 
From Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes by Marguerite de Angeli. Doubleday, 
1954. Copyright, 1953, 1954, Marguerite de Angeli. 




88 - Knowing Children's Literature 


PICTURE BOOKS 

The Twentieth Century has witnessed a phe- 
nomenal growth in the development of pic- 
ture books for young children. 9 During this 
period the vital role of pictures in the litera- 
ture for children was recognized. Since young 
children's appreciation and interest level far 
surpass their reading ability, picture books 
are important. Pictures not only make the 
book more attractive, but they must convey 
the same message as the written word. The 
child "reads" the picture as the adult reads 
the accompanying text. Story and illustra- 
tions should be so unified, that having heard 
the story once, children can retell it by using 
the pictures alone. 

Definitions of Picture Books 

A picture book is a book in which the pic- 
tures are designed as an integral part of the 
text. The fusion of both pictures and text 
are essential for the unity of presentation. 
This is not true of the illustrated book. In 
the latter, the pictures are mere extensions 
of the text. They may greatly enrich the in- 
terpretation of the story, but they are not 
necessary for its understanding. Beth and Joe 
Krush have illustrated The Borrowers by 
Mary Norton. Their intricate line sketches 
greatly add to the fantastic nature of this 
delightful book, but they are not essential 
for its interpretation. Illustrated books are 
usually written for those children who have 
already achieved considerable fluency in read- 
ing skills, while the picture book is generally 
planned for young children who do not know 
how to read or whose competency in this skill 
is very limited. 

Picture books are not to be confused with 
beginning reading books. Most picture books 
require advanced reading ability and are de- 
signed to be read to children by adults. They 
are written for the young child's interest 
and appreciation level and not his reading- 

• See Chapter 2 for the history of the rise of the 
picture book. 


ability level. There is a new genre 10 of pic- 
ture books which has been written for the 
young child to read independently. This 
type of book is still a trade book but it is 
written with a controlled vocabulary and be- 
comes a transition book between the basic 
reader and "library books." Examples of this 
type of book include The Cat in the Hat by 
Seuss, Nobody Listens to Andrew by Guil- 
foile, and Little Bear by Minarik. Some of 
these books are very well written and can 
take their place in children's literature. 
Others are hampered by the necessity for a 
controlled vocabulary and remind one of a 
stilted primer. 

Some authorities differentiate between the 
picture book and the picture storybook. The 
difference is one which is contingent upon 
the development of plot and characters. A 
picture book may be an alphabet book, a first 
book, or a concept book. In these books the 
pictures must be accurate and synchronized 
with the text; however, it is not essential 
that they provide the continuity required by 
a book with a story line. The illustration in 
a "first book" for children or an alphabet 
book may depict a different object or animal 
on each page providing for much variety in 
the pictures. An example of such a picture 
book would be Weisgard's The Important 
Book. In a picture storybook, however, the 
same characters and settings are frequently 
drawn, while variety is achieved through the 
action of the characters. The author must 
also consider plot and character development 
in the picture storybook rather than just the 
theme required for a picture book. An exam- 
ple of a picture storybook would be Fatio’s 
The Happy Lion. The picture storybook 
probably places a greater demand on the 
talent of both author and illustrator than 
does the picture book. It is important to rec- 

10 See Martha Olson Condit, “Trade Books For Be- 
ginning Readers,” Wilson Library Bulletin 34:284- 
301. December, 1959. 



Children Read Pictures - 89 


ognize the different requirements of these 
two types of books. In many instances how- 
ever, the two terms are used interchangeably 
to refer to that large group of books in which 
pictures and text are considered to be of 
equal importance. 

The number of picture books designed for 
older children is rapidly growing. This trend 
merely reflects the greater role of visual pres- 
entation in books and magazines for all ages. 
Many of these picture books for older boys 
and girls may be classified as informational 
books in the science or social studies areas 
and are reviewed in Chapters 4 and 5. Occa- 
sionally, however, a picture storybook de- 
signed for somewhat older children is shelved 
with other picture books and is consequently 
lost to the age level for which it was intended. 
This may easily happen to such beautiful but 
oversized books as Handforth's Mei Lei or 
the d’Aulaires’ Ola and Abraham Lincoln . 
The humor and subtle commentaries on 
human nature as presented in Thurber’s 
Many Moons are completely wasted on very 
young children. It is also well to remember 


that some picture books are ageless — appeal- 
ing to a wide age range of children. A sixteen- 
year-old boy from Kentucky enjoyed Lynd 
Ward’s wonderful story of The Biggest Bear 
as much as do second and third graders. The 
slapstick humor of the many books by Dr. 
Seuss appeals to all ages. (Particularly fathers 
who accept the bed-time story duty while 
mother finishes the dishes.) 

Criteria for Selection 

Probably the best way to learn to judge a pic- 
ture book is to look searchingly at the finest 
which have been produced. Study the books 
of the early masters of the picture book: Ran- 
dolph Caldecott, Kate Greenaway and Leslie 
Brooke. Compare and contrast the different 
winners of the modern Caldecott Award. 
Why have these books received recognition? 
What makes a fine picture book? 

UNITY WITH TEXT 

The picture book is one which conveys its 
message through two media, the art of paint- 
ing and the art of writing. Both media must 


Rhythmical curves reflect the repetitive text. From Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag. 
Coward-McCann, 1928. 




90 - Knowing Children’s Literature 

bear the burden of narration. There must be 
a unity between the two which is indivisible. 
It is difficult to think of Wanda Gdg’s Mil- 
lions of Cats without hearing its frequent 
refrain about the millions and billions and 
trillions of cats. At the same time, the 
rhythmical picture of the gnomish little old 
man wandering over the rolling hills and 
down the winding roads followed by all those 
cats is inseparable from the repetitive text. 
The action in the text is reflected by the 
action in the illustrations. One can almost 
hear the howls of the terrific cat fight and the 
subsequent silence when only one little kitten 
remains. Although one of our earliest picture 
books , 11 it still serves as an outstanding ex- 
ample of a book in which text and illustra- 
tions seem to flow together. 

The pictures should not only reflect the 
basic mood of the story, they should help to 
create it. The delicate pastel pictures of the 
forest creatures in Marie Hall Ets’ Play With 
Me depict the same quiet mood of its accom- 
panying text: 

I held my breath and he came nearer 
He came so near I could have touched him 

11 First published in 1928 (Coward- McCann) . 


But I didn’t move and I didn’t speak 

And the fawn came up and licked my cheek . 12 

Consider the perfection of words and pictures 
of Robert McCloskey in capturing the chang- 
ing mood of the Maine coast in his Time of 
Wonder . He has portrayed the feeling of the 
utter stillness in a forest so quiet that you can 
hear “the sound of growing ferns.” Using 
soft grays and yellow he has conveyed the 
warmth and mystery of the early morning 
fog in the woods. His ocean storm scene, on 
the other hand, is slashed with streaks of 
dark blues and emerald greens, highlighted 
by churning whites. The text is no longer 
quiet and poetic, but races along with “the 
sharp choppy waves and slamming rain.” 
The storm subsides, the summer ends, and it 
is time to leave the island. The beauty of this 
book will not reach all children; but it will 
speak forever to young and old alike who 
have ever intensely loved a particular place 
on this earth. Words and pictures so comple- 
ment each other that the reader is filled with 
quiet wonder and nostalgia when he sees the 
family’s boat slip into the sunset and reads 
the poetic prose: 

12 Marie Hall Ets, Play With Me. Illustrated by the 
author. New York: The Viking Press, 1955. p. 20. 



The pastel colors of Ets 9 quiet sketches 
capture the breathless moment when 
“fawn came up and licked my cheek." 
From Play With Me by Marie Hall 
Ets. Viking, 1955. © 1955, Marie Hall 
Ets. 



Children Read Pictures - 91 




Soft gray and green watercolors portray a foggy morning in a forest so quiet yon conld 
hear “the sound of growing ferns.’’ From Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey. 
Viking, 1957. © 1957, Robert McCloskey. 


Take a farewell look 
At the waves and sky. 

Take a farewell sniff 
Of the salty sea. 

A little bit sad 

about the place you are leaving, 

A little bit glad 

About the place you are going. 

It is a time of quiet wonder — 
for wondering, for instance: 

Where do hummingbirds go in a hurricane ? 13 

Both text and pictures should convey the 
fun and humor of a story. It is difficult to 
imagine the hilarious stories of Dr. Seuss 
without his fantastically absurd pictures. 
Children and adults alike delight in the 
pictures of the faithful elephant, Horton, sit- 
ting in a tree on an egg in a nest. The story is 

“Robert McCloskey, Time of Wonder. Illustrated 
by the author. New York: The Viking Press, 1957. 
p. 62. 


ridiculous and so are the pictures. The total 
impact makes for one of the most amusing 
books in children's literature. 

Phyllis Krasilovsky and Barbara Cooney 
have achieved spontaneity and humor in the 
text and sparkling illustrations of The Man 
Who Didn't Wash His Dishes. This is a dis- 
armingly simple story of a little man who 
liked to cook but grew tired of doing all the 
dishes so he just stopped washing them. He 
was soon forced to eat out of a soap dish, ash 
tray, and flower pots. A happy solution helps 
him out of his predicament, and he is so 
pleased with his neat house that he resolves 
never to leave his dirty dishes again. Barbara 
Cooney's gay stylized pictures help portray 
the tongue-in-cheek fun of this highly im- 
probable situation. 

Illustrations not only aid in creating the 
basic mood of a story, but they also help 
portray convincing character development. 



92 - Knowing Children’s Literature 



Illustrations help build climax as 
Johnny’s lovable, mischievous cub 

grows From The Biggest Bear 

by Lynd Ward. Houghton Mifflin, 
1952. 


There is a kind of patronization of children 
which can be conveyed in pictures as well as 
through words. Books which always picture 
children as sweet and cherubic, rolling in 
green meadows of blooming flowers are 
guilty of doing just this. Adults say they are 
“cute”; children know that they are basically 
dishonest. The characterization in the pic- 
tures must correspond to that of the story. 
There is no mistaking the devilish quality of 
the incorrigible Madeline as she balances her- 
self on the ledge of the Pont des Arts in Paris, 
or says “pooh-pooh to the tiger in the zoo.” 
Following her bout with appendicitis, Bemel- 
mans has painted a quiet subdued Madeline 
who is propped up in bed watching her 
friends play with her gifts. It is with real re- 
lief that the reader sees her in the next pic- 
ture proudly exhibiting her scar to the 
envious eyes of her eleven other friends. 
Madeline has recovered! 

In the very first picture of that wonderfully 
sensitive story, Crow Boy, Yashima presents 
“Chibi,” hidden away in the dark space un- 
derneath the schoolhouse, afraid of the 
schoolmaster, afraid of the children. In sub- 
sequent pictures, he is always alone while the 
other children come to school in two's and 
three's. With the arrival of the friendly 


schoolmaster and his discovery of Chibi's 
talent to imitate crows, Chibi grows in stat- 
ure and courage. On graduation day, he is 
pictured standing tall and erect, having been 
the only one honored for perfect attendance 
at school for six years. Chibi does not com- 
pletely change with his new name of Crow 
Boy, for this story has the integrity of life it- 
self. He remains aloof and independent as he 
assumes his increased adult responsibilities. 
He has lost the gnawing loneliness of Chibi, 
however, as the final pages of text and pic- 
tures combine to tell us of his character de- 
velopment: 

Crow Boy would nod and smile as if he liked 
the name. And when his work was done he would 
buy a few things for his family. Then he would 
set off for his home on the far side of the moun- 
tain, stretching his growing shoulders proudly like 
a grown-up man. And from around the turn of the 
mountain road would come a crow call — the 
happy one . 14 

Bettina has captured the emotion of real 
anger, despair, and joy in her lovely water 
colors for the somewhat moralistic story of 
The Magic Christmas Tree by Kingman. The 

34 Taro Yashima, Crow Boy. Illustrated by the 
author. New York: The Viking Press, 1955. p. 37. 



Children Read Pictures - 93 



faces of Julia and Joanna show undisguised 
hatred as they fight in fury over the posses- 
sion of their tree. Finally, the joy of a shared 
secret replaces their tears as each child real- 
izes she has found a new friend. Bettina has 
not been afraid to try the difficult job of por- 
traying emotions and she has succeeded ad- 
mirably. 

Illustrations may play an important role 
in the development of the climax of the 
story. Not all picture books have a climax, 
but most picture storybooks do. Lynd Ward 
makes skillful use of his pictures to drama- 
tize the growth of The Biggest Bear. In the 
first pictures, the bear is portrayed as a love- 
able but mischievous cub. The next four il- 
lustrations picture the chaos he creates in the 
kitchen during the summer, Mr. McCarrol’s 
trampled cornfield in the fall, the half-eaten 
and ruined bacon and hams in the smoke- 
house during the winter, and the overturned 
sap buckets in the spring. The bear is not 
shown in any of these pictures, just the re- 
sults of his destructive actions. The text sug- 
gests the passage of time, but in no way pre- 
pares the reader for the shock of the next 
picture of a gigantic bear, standing on his 
hind legs gorging himself on the McLeans’ 
maple syrup! Children invariably exclaim at 
this point of the story and go on to take 
Johnny’s bear completely to their hearts. 
This adventure story has moments of real 
pathos, compassion, and humor. 

Another requirement of the excellent pic- 
ture book is one of accuracy and consistency 
with the text. If the story states, as Bemel- 
mans does in Madeline, that “In an old 
house in Paris that was covered with vines 
lived twelve little girls in two straight lines,” 
children are going to look for the vines, they 
are going to count the little girls, and they 
are going to check to see that the lines are 
straight. Bemelmans was painstakingly care- 
ful to include just eleven little girls in his 
pictures after Madeline goes to the hospital. 
He failed in one small picture which shows 
twelve girls breaking their bread, even 
though Madeline was still hospitalized. A 
seven-year-old child noticed the error and 


to become The Biggest Bear! From The Biggest 

Bear by Lynd Ward, Houghton Mifflin, 1952. 

called attention to it one day during a story 
hour. Pictures and text must be synchronized, 
for as the adult reads the the text, the child 
is reading the pictures. For this reason, chil- 
dren prefer that the picture be on the same 
page or facing the part of the story which it 
illustrates. 

VARIETY OF STYLE 

Occasionally the question is raised as to what 
style of illustration is best for children's 
books. There can be only one answer to that 
question; there is no one style which is most 
preferred by all children. The results of re- 
search in this field are conflicting. The Free- 
mans found that children preferred more 
stylized or decorative pictures in contrast to 
naturalistic ones . 15 Rudisill reported that 

“LaVerne and Ruth S. Freeman, The Child and 
His Picture Book. Evanston, 111.: The Northwestern 
University Press, 1933. pp. 50-66. 


94 - Knowing Children’s Literature 



Ethereal illustrations in deli- 
cate blues and pinks are well 
suited for Cinderella. From 
Cinderella by Marcia Brown. 
Scribner, 1954. 


under some conditions realism of picture su- 
perseded color as a factor in determining 
preference . 16 Malter, who reviewed several 
studies in this field, concluded that children’s 
preferences for pictures do not place restric- 
tions on the form or the subject matter which 
can be used in illustration since other factors 
appear to influence children's choices . 17 
Among the factors he named are children’s 
needs, the demands of society, and the 
opinion of experts. These research studies 
all indicate that under certain circumstances, 
children enjoy many different types of paint- 
ings and drawings: realistic, stylized, near ab- 
stract, and caricatures. The primary question 
concerning the style of a picture book ap- 
pears to be one of harmony with the text. 
The style of the art should be judged solely 
by its appropriateness to the story. The 
reader expects Weisgard to paint beautifully 

1# Mabel Rudisill, “Children’s Preferences for Color 
versus Other Qualities in Illustrations,” Elementary 
School Journal 52:444—51, April, 1952. 

17 Morton S. Malter, “Children’s Preferences for 
Illustrative Materials,” Journal of Educational Re- 
search 41:578—85, January, 1948. 


detailed pictures for the lovely nature story 
of The Little Island, while Marcia Brown’s 
delicate ethereal illustrations are perfect for 
the well-known fairy tale of Cinderella. 
Roger Duvoisin’s amusing, childlike pictures 
complement the misdirected wisdom of his 
proud duck, Petunia. The gay abandonment 
and humor of Ruth Krauss' A Very Special 
House has been captured completely by the 
droll antics of the little boy portrayed in 
Maurice Sendak's illustrations. Sendak has 
used an interesting technique in his pictures 
to separate what is pure fantasy from reality 
in the story. His knowing, but impish, small 
boy is depicted in color, while his fantastic 
imaginings are sketched in line drawings. 
These drawings say just as clearly as the text 
that the whole story has been in fun. The 
completely abstract drawing of Lionni’s 
Little Blue and Little Yellow are most appro- 
priate to the plot of this unique picture book. 
Young children do identify with these ab- 
stract shapes and are intrigued by the excit- 
ing use of color. 

The age of the child for whom the book is 



intended places a few restrictions on style. 
Young children's eyes are not fully matured 
until age seven or eight. Distracting back- 
grounds may confuse them. It is difficult for 
them to grasp the idea of perspective. One 
young child of three looked at a picture 
which showed a man in the distance and re- 
marked “That’s a funny tiny man down 
there.” Just as young children have difficulty 
comprehending perspective, so too are they 
bothered by the incomplete picture of a 
hand, part of an animal or other object. They 
want to know where the missing parts are and 
tend to become confused. With increased ex- 
perience and visual maturity, children are 
ready for more complex and varied art styles. 

Ideally, children should be exposed to a 
wide variety of styles in picture books. Since 
appreciation is learned, opportunity to view 
some of the best talents in children’s litera- 
ture might well have a lasting effect on chil- 
dren’s taste in art. Marcia Brown emphasizes 
this point: 

Perhaps exposure to good picture books in 
childhood will not assure an adult taste capable 
of appreciating fine art, but I do believe that a 
child unconsciously forms an approach to his 
visual world of order, rhythm and interesting ar- 
rangements of color from the books he sees when 
young. The clearness and simplicity of a well- 
designed page may start a chain of reactions that 
will continue into adulthood. If the child is ac- 
customed to seeing varied and interesting shapes 
in his picture books, abstract art will not have the 
terrors for him that it seems to have for some 
adults. His discrimination along with whatever of 
his individuality he can manage to preserve, will 
be his main defense against the bombardment of 
visual materials on his eyes in most of his waking 
hours . 18 

VARIETY OF MEDIA 

Just as there is no one style of art best suited 
for children’s literature, so there is no one 
medium which is preferred. Illustrations may 
be done in brush work, crayon, water color, 
colored lithographs, pastels, and woodcut. It 
has generally been accepted that photographs 

18 Marcia Brown, “Distinction in Picture Books” in 
Illustrators of Children's Books 1946-1956, compiled 
by Bertha Mahony Miller et al. Boston: Horn Book, 
Inc., 1958. pp. 9-10. 


Children Read Pictures - 95 

are less likely to find favor with children than 
other types of media. However, there are out- 
standing exceptions to this statement, for ex- 
ample, the popular books by that artist pho- 
tographer Ylla. Her pictures for The Sleepy 
Little Lion , The Duck and Two Little Bears 
are simple, large and uncluttered. These 
characteristics are also true of The Red Bal- 
loon which was photographed in France by 
Lamorisse. Young children enjoy the effective 
photographs of Dare Wright’s The Lonely 
Doll. Again, backgrounds and settings have 
been kept simple so that the doll and the 
bears stand out in each photograph. Children 
like these books both for their stories and 
pictures. The question of media then appears 
to be one of harmony between text and illus- 
trations. Which medium will most nearly 
convey the message of the story? 

COLOR 

Research studies 19 support the statement that 
children generally prefer color illustrations. 
However, they readily accept pastels and 
blacks and whites provided the pictures and 
text tell a good story. Think of the perennial 
favorites which do not use color in their il- 
lustrations; the sepia pictures of McCloskey’s 
Make Way for Ducklings and Ward’s The 
Biggest Bear, the black and white humorous 
illustrations by Lawson for The Story of 
Ferdinand and Wee Gillis by Leaf. The use 
of color alone is no guarantee of success. The 
appropriate use of color is significant. 

Certain artists have made most effective 
use of color to convey the mood of the story. 
In White Snow, Bright Snow, Duvoisin has 
utilized a gray-blue to give the feeling of 
cold. The reader sees the day grow darker as 
the snow becomes thicker and heavier. The 
next morning the storm is over. With bril- 
liant splashes of red, yellow and dazzling 
white, Duvoisin emphasizes the contrast of 
this weather change. Leonard Weisgard’s su- 
perb colored pictures reveal the beauty of 

10 Richard H. Bloomer, “Children’s Preferences and 
Responses as Related to Styles and Themes of Illus- 
tration,” Elementary School Journal 60:534-340, 
March, 1960. 



96 - Knowing Children's Literature 

the mountains and the tender concern of the 
boy shepherd for his Little Lost Lamb. In the 
first half of the book, the sparkling color of 
the pictures almost makes the reader feel the 
warmth of the sun-drenched mountains in 
the springtime. The illustrations for the last 
half are all done in shades of brownish black 
and add to the growing concern for the little 
black lamb lost in the mountains which are 
now cold, dark, and treacherous in the night. 



FORMAT 

The actual format of the book is important 
in creating its total impact. Today picture 
books have many sizes and shapes. Again, 
there is no one best size. Children enjoy large 
and beautiful books, but witness the popu- 
larity of Beatrix Potter’s Tale of Peter Rab- 
bit and her other well-loved little books. 
Certain cozy, more quiet books almost seem 
to require a diminutive format. The Flora 
McFlimsey books by Mariana are favorites of 
some five- and six-year-old girls. The recent 
book, Little Bear's Sunday Breakfast, by 
Janice, is the same comfortable small size. 
This story is an amusing twist on “Goldi- 
locks and The Three Bears” and never fails 
to satisfy the nursery school age. A tiny book 
with much charm in both pictures and story 



Yashima’s use of space conveys Chibi’s loneliness 
and isolation. From Crow Boy by Yashima. Yiking. 
© 1955, Mitsu and Taro Yashima. 

is the quaint A Friend Is Someone Who 
Likes You by Joan Walsh Anglund. This 
book tells how to recognize a friend and how 
to be one. It is an intimate story and its small 
size is quite appropriate. A delicate and 
poetic little book by Ruth Krauss is Char - 



A tiny sketch in pale watercolor shows 
a self-confident Peter setting out for 
Mr. MacGregor's garden. From A Tale 
of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. 
Frederick Warne, 1903. 



Children Read Pictures - 97 


lotte and the White Horse . Maurice Sendak 
has illustrated this book with lovely mystical 
pictures. Pictures, story and format combine 
to make it one of quiet perfection. 

The shape of some books suggests their very 
content, for example, A Tree Is Nice by 
Udry is vertical in shape. Hahn’s Take a 
Giant Step is a tall picture book about stilts 
and their uses. The title of Yen Liang's in- 
formative book, Skyscraper, marches ver- 
tically up the cover. The horizontal shape 
of McCloskey's Blueberries For Sal is quite 
appropriate for portraying Sal and her 
mother on one side of a long sloping hill and 
the bear cub and his mother on the other. 
The amusing book by Andre Francois called 
Crocodile Tears not only simulates the 
shape of a crocodile, but is boxed in a carton 
which resembles a crate! 

Other fine details contribute to the making 
of a quality picture book. Sometimes the very 
margins and blank space within a book add 
to the total impact of the story. In illustrat- 
ing Crow Boy, Yashima has made skillful use 
of space to help create the feeling of isola- 
tion. In the picture of the schoolroom, Chibi 
looms large in a foreground of empty space 
contrasting with the small group of children 
across the room. In Margaret Wise Brown’s 
book The Dead Bird, the text of the story 
appears on separate white pages interspersed 
between full-colored pictures painted in sub- 
dued blues and greens. Both the pictures and 
plain white pages with their brief text help to 
express the sadness, simplicity, and beauty of 
this book. 

Attention should be given to the spacing 
of the pictures and text so that they do not 
all appear monotonously in the same place. 
The variety of the spacing of the sentences 
adds movement to the format of Virginia 
Lee Burton’s The Little House . In some in- 
stances in this book, the sentences are ar- 
ranged to follow the pattern of the road on 
the picture page. The books by Ann and 
Paul Rand are beautifully designed in every 
detail. In I Know A Lot of Things, they have 
made effective use of the type, even incorpo- 
rating it into a part of the illustrations. On 


the last page, for example, the type takes the 
form of a tall boy; only his hat and feet are 
drawn. 

The end papers and very title page of a 
story can add beauty and interest to a book. 
Notice the striking end papers of Marcia 
Brown’s Felice with their design of interlac- 
ing black and white gondolas against a dark 
blue background. The brilliant red and blue 
design on the end pages of Chanticleer by 
Cooney suggest the eye of that proud rooster. 
The colors and format of this beautiful book 
appropriately remind the reader of the illu- 
minated manuscripts of Chaucer’s day. The 
title page of a book can be lovely too, and 
suggest the theme of the book. The title page 
of Over in the Meadow by Rojankovsky is 
filled with flowers and sparkles with the very 
warmth of sunshine. 

There are other factors of a picture book 
which are most important to consider from 
the utilitarian standpoint. These include the 
two aspects of quality of paper and binding. 
The paper should be dull so that it does not 
easily reflect light and it certainly must be 
strong to withstand heavy usage. Picture 
books should be bound in cloth, side sewn, 
and have soil-resistant washable covers. Un- 
fortunately, many of our children’s books 
are not bound with a durable binding and 
have to be rebound for library use. Librari- 
ans and schools have to consider durability 
of books along with the many other aspects 
which go into fine picture-book making. 

AUTHENTICITY OF SETTING 

Many picture books today give children the 
increased value of authenticity of setting. 
Young children’s concepts and understand- 
ings are no longer limited by the boundaries 
of the local grocery store. Television has 
opened a window on the world for everyone; 
jet planes have made that world more ac- 
cessible to all. Boys and girls today are going 
to have to grow up in one world, or perhaps 
they will not grow up. They need to develop 
an early- familiarity with cultures in all parts 
of the world. Picture books may contribute 



98 - Knowing Children's Literature 



Simple, itylized figures create unity in the double-page illustrations colored in bright 
bines, greens, and yellows. From The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown. Illustrated 
by Remy Gbarlip. W. R Scott, 1958. 


by making that which is foreign seem fa- 
miliar and fun. 

Certain picture books create only the flavor 
and feeling for a particular country, while 
others vividly portray recognizable scenes. 
Leo Politi gives us the feeling of the warmth 
and gaiety of the Italian hill towns in his 
well-loved autobiographical picture book of 
Little Leo. Bettina, however, pictures the 
bustling confusion of market day in the spe- 
cific town of Grado, Italy, in her amusing 
story about a small dog named Pantaloni. 
Her picture of the gesturing children in the 
typical Italian farmyard, and the one which 
shows Beppolino and Pantaloni asleep on top 
of an ox cart driven by a drowsing peasant, 
truly captures the flavor of rural Italy. In 
brillant blues, pink, and lavender, Marcia 
Brown has recreated the charm of that an- 
cient city, Venice, in her book Felice, the 
story of a young gondolier’s cat. Her pictures 
recall the extravagant beauty of St. Marks 
Square, the Grand Canal swarming with 
barcas and gondolas, and the intriguing nar- 
row, back canals. Children will be the richer 
for having experienced this handsome book. 
Lisl Weil introduces us to the charming city 
of Florence in her book I Wish, I Wish, a de- 
lightful story of Francesca who regularly vis- 
ited the Galleria Pitti to watch an American 


lady paint miniatures.. Anyone who has vis- 
ited Florence will thoroughly enjoy the au- 
thentic pictures of the Ponte Vecchio and 
the Pitti Palace; children will be pleased with 
the story. 

It is difficult to discuss authenticity of set- 
ting without immediately thinking of the 
vivid pictures of Paris which children may 
obtain from Bemelmans’ books, Madeline 
and Madeline to the Rescue. In these stories 
Bemelmans has used well-known landmarks 
of Paris such as Notre Dame, the opera build- 
ing, Sacr£ Coeur, the Tuileries, and the Pont 
Neuf as background for his striking colored 
pictures of Madeline and her eleven friends. 
Another book, by Titus, as French as its end 
papers (which are the colors and stripes of 
the French Flag) is Anatole, the amusing 
story of a skilled cheese-tasting mouse. Al- 
though there are no identifiable places, the 
French flavor of this book is unmistakable. 
This also can be said for the lovely pictures 
by the d’Aulaires in Ola and The Magic 
Meadow. The paintings of the stave churches 
which can only be found in Norway and the 
distinctive interior scenes of Norwegian 
houses lend authenticity to Ola. The Magic 
Meadow portrays the beauty and charm of 
Switzerland in a similar fashion. 

There are some picture books which have 




Children Read Pictures - 99 


their settings in easily recognized American 
cities. Every young American may visit the 
public gardens of Boston in McCloskey's al- 
most classic story of Make Way for Duck- 
lings. Don Freeman has captured the magnif- 
icent beauty of San Francisco in his Fly High 
Fly Low, the story of two pigeons. In May- 
belle, The Cable Car, Virginia Lee Burton 
has presented a more stylized view of that city 
of hills, water, flowers, and cable cars. 

The authenticity of the setting of a story is 
not as important to boys and girls as it is to 
adults. Where a specific setting is suggested, 
it should be accurate and authentic. Children 
will not like a particular story just because 
it is laid in a different city or country. It still 
must be a good story and hold their interest. 
However, young children’s horizons are 
widened by these occasional glimpses of other 
worlds which may serve as backdrops for fa- 
vorite stories. 

Types and Themes of Picture Books 

Young children have many and varied inter- 
ests. They are filled with “insatiable curios- 
ity” about their world. As boys and girls 


reach out for richer and wider experiences, 
they are ready for many different types of 
picture books. They are still interested in the 
near and familiar of everyday experiences, but 
their imaginations are growing to the point 
where they readily accept and identify with 
personified machines and animals. They are 
curious and actively seek certain types of in- 
formation. While their humor continues to 
be somewhat primitive, it is developing to ap- 
preciate the ridiculous and the obvious in- 
congruities of a situation. Today, many areas 
of living have been described in picture 
books. Certain types and themes seem par- 
ticularly suited to the young child. Picture 
books which exemplify these themes will be 
described in the present chapter. Other ex- 
amples are included in Chapters 4 through 8. 

FAMILY STORIES 

The young child’s world revolves around 
himself and his immediate family. He is in- 
terested in his own growth and his own fam- 
ily relationships. Berman’s When You Were 
A Little Baby gives the three- and four-year- 
old a secure place in the affections of the 
family. It is especially recommended when a 


The text flows in the same rhythmical pattern as the road. The little house is personi- 
fied with details in windows and door. From The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton. 
Houghton Mifflin, 1942. 



\r first 

the Little Home 

was f tightened, 
hut jftlT she got umJ to it 
she rather liked it. 

TItci’ rolled akmg the big mad, 

arul tbet rolled along the little rood*. 

unril rftev were war out in the countn 
When the Link House saw the gfccn gross 
anJ heard the birds singing, she didn't fed sad any more: 
They went along and along, but (her couldn't seem to find 
just the right place. 

They tried the Little Moose hoc, 
and they tried her there. 

Finally they saw s httk htS 
in the auddOe of s field . . . 

sod apple trees growing around. 
“There," sad the gteac-gtcst'^anddaughtcr. 
"(fasts rust the ptaoe" 
w Ye% k V said the Little House so bcTsetf. 

A «flsf was dug on sop of the bill 
and ilnwty they moved tbshmne 
&om the rood to die hQL ' 

v ' ' 



100 - Knowing Children's Literature 

new baby comes into the household. The 
Shanes’ story of The New Bdby and Flack’s 
The New Pet are also enjoyed at this time of 
family anticipation. A warm mother-child re- 
lationship is expressed in Zolotow's The 
Quiet Mother and the Noisy Little Boy . The 
Day Daddy Stayed at Home by the Kesslers 
tells of children's delight in the wonderful 
day when their daddy is snowbound. Grand- 
father and I by Buckley tells of the joys of a 
leisurely walk with grandfather. The Littlest 
One in the Family by Lois Duncan describes 
a small boy’s frustration in a family of big 
people who could do all the things he 
couldn’t do. His father could stay up at night 
and watch television and his mother could 
iron with a hot iron without burning herself! 
The youngest child in the family will iden- 
tify with William who couldn't keep up with 
his brothers and sisters. Flack’s ending in 
Wait For William provides poetic justice for 
all children who have been told to hurry. 
Krasilovsky’s The Very Little Girl has a 
similar theme and emphasizes that growing 
up involves both physical growth and growth 
in assuming responsibilities. Ruth Krauss 
tells the story of a little boy who thought 
everything else was growing except himself. 
At the end of The Growing Story he has ac- 
tual evidence that he has grown, too. 

FAMILIAR EVERY-DAY EXPERIENCES 

Young children like stories which recount ex- 
periences which they already know. The 
young child who has helped Mother prepare 
for guests will appreciate Brown’s gentle 
story, Company's Coming for Dinner . The 
little boy in this story helps his mother by 
putting away the guests’ coats. The reader 
shares his enjoyment of the soft furry feeling 
of one wrap. The familiar experience of 
being frightened by a Noise in the Night is 
amusingly told by Ann Alexander. The little 
girl in this story is surprised to find that the 
strangest sound of all is her Daddy’s snoring. 
The Dawsons’ A Walk in the City discusses 
all the sights and sounds a small boy enjoys 
when he goes for a walk in the park with his 


mother. Golden MacDonald has written the 
text and Weisgard has illustrated Red Light, 
Green Light . This book tells of the cars, 
people, and animals who stop at the traffic 
light during the day. The Park Book by 
Charlotte Zolotow recreates a child’s day in 
the park. Saturday Walk by Ethel Wright 
points out all the interesting sights that are 
discovered on a walk with Daddy. Ruth 
Krauss tells the simple story of a little boy 
who plants The Carrot Seed in the face of 
much derision from others. Its subsequent 
growth provides restitution for all young 
children whose plans have been questioned. 
The common experience of losing a tooth is 
described by McCloskey in One Morning in 
Maine . Young children will enjoy the fa- 
miliar story of a boy who invariably loses a 
mitten from each new pair. They will laugh 
at the amusing ending created by Helen Kay 
in One Mitten Lewis. Yashima's Umbrella is 
an appealing story of a three-year-old Japa- 
nese girl, born in New York, who longs for a 
rainy day so she may use her new blue um- 
brella and red boots. Children who love to 
“stamp in the wetness” will like Kuskin’s 
story of James and the Rain . 

NEW EXPERIENCES 

Stories about new activities or places give the 
young child a broader background of experi- 
ence. MacDonald’s The Little Island helps 
children gain an understanding of the con- 
cept of an island. The beautiful, realistic pic- 
tures by Leonard Weisgard make this an out- 
standing book. A little girl tells of her trip to 
the beach, the joy of playing in the sand, 
of swimming, and other events in Dorothy 
Koch’s I Play at the Beach. Tresselt and Du- 
voisin introduce children to the sounds and 
sights of the seashore in I Saw the Sea Come 
In. The child who lives on the farm may learn 
about the city in Wake Up, City! and the 
city-dweller may learn about the farm in 
Wake Up, Farm! Both these books are by 
Tresselt and Duvoisin. Margaret Wise Brown 
has emphasized the sounds of the city and the 
country in her two well-loved books, The 



Children Read Pictures - 101 


City Noisy Book and The Country Noisy 
Book . Children appreciate Lenski’s straight- 
forward presentation of information in her 
stories of the activities of that eternal small 
boy in adult clothing, Mr. Small. In Little 
Farm, Mr. Small cares for his farm and uses 
his machinery in the cheerful, matter-of-fact 
way that characterizes his actions in The 
Little Auto, Cowboy Small and Little Train . 
Children are curious about their world. They 
want answers to their questions, but not com- 
plex answers. Lois Lenski’s books satisfy chil- 
dren without overwhelming them. 

CONCEPT BOOKS 

This desire for information has led to the 
development of a completely new type of 
book for young children called a “concept 
book.” This is a book which describes the di- 
mensions of an abstract idea through the use 
of comparisons. One of the earliest examples 
was Budney’s A Kiss Is Round. Beautifully 
illustrated, this book explores the dimensions 
of “roundness” through such verses as: 


Round is the moon 
When it’s bright and full. 

Round is a ball 
Of knitting wool, 

A kiss is round, 

And so is a hug; 

The rim of a glass, 

And the lid of a jug; 

The top of a hole 
When it's carefully dug . 20 

All Falling Down by Gene Zion tells a little 
boy of the leaves which fall down, the snow, 
his block house, but concludes with a sur- 
prise ending. “Daddy lifts him up and tosses 
him in the air. He doesn't jail down . Daddy 
catches him." Miriam Schlein’s books, Heavy 
Is a Hippopotamus and Fast Is Not a Lady- 
bug are both concept books which discuss 
comparative values of weight and speed. 
Concept books do not have plots; the child’s 

20 Blossom Budney, A Kiss Is Round. Illustrated by 
Vladimir Bobri. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard 
Co., Inc., 1954. Unpaged. 


Duvoisin has captured the dazzling heauty 
of winter snow with sharply contrasting 
reds, yellows, and blacks. Cover from 
White Snow , Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt. 
Illustrated by Roger Duvoisin. Lothrop, 
1947. 



WHITE SNOW 
BRIGHT SNOW 


BY ALVIN TRESSELT 
ILLUSTRATED BY ROGER DUVOISIN 


102 - Knowing Children's Literature 

interest is held by the information given and 
illustrations. 

WEATHER AND THE SEASONS 

Closely related to concept books are books 
about the weather. Weather and seasonal 
changes are important events in the young 
child’s life. He enjoys Tresselt and Duvoi- 
sin’s books. White Snow , Bright Snow and 
“Hi, Mister Robin!”, which predict the com- 
ing of a snowstorm in one, and the eventual 
arrival of spring in another. In White Snow, 
Bright Snow, the discomfort of adults 
brought about by a snow storm is contrasted 
with the joy of the children over its arrival. 
In The Big Snow, the Haders have realis- 
tically pictured the plight of woods’ animals 
facing real discomfort and danger as the re- 
sult of a big snow. Charlotte Zolotow has 
written beautifully descriptive prose to ac- 
company the lovely pictures by Margaret 
Graham in The Storm Book. Children may 
follow the progress of a storm in this book 
from the first faint rumbling of thunder to 
the last graceful arch of the rainbow. In Go- 
ing Barefoot, Aileen Fisher has written de- 
lightful singing verse to describe a young 
child’s longing for the days of June: 

How soon 
how soon 

is a morning in June 
a sunny morning or afternoon 
in* the wonderful month 
of the Barefoot Moon? 

I can go barefoot 
like kittens and dogs 
bears and beetles 
and hoppity frogs 
as soon 
as it's June! 21 

The varied soft-colored pictures of Adrienne 
Adams are in perfect harmony with this 
rhythmical text. The same exhilaration of 
living which is expressed in Going Barefoot 
is captured in tJdry’s The Moon Jumpers . 
With beautiful luminous illustrations, Sen- 

21 Aileen Fisher, Going Barefoot. Illustrated by 
Adrienne Adams. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 
1960. Unpaged. 


dak pictures the joys of four children dancing 
barefoot in the moonlight of a quiet mid- 
summer evening. This is a beautiful book, 
both in its sensory prose and imaginative 
pictures. Zolotow has captured a child’s feel- 
ings for the seasons in her book, Over and 
Over, which Garth Williams so effectively il- 
lustrated. Time concepts are most difficult 
for a young child to comprehend. Here they 
are explained in meaningful terms through 
the exciting events of the seasons of the year 
— the first snowfall, Christmas, Valentine’s 
Day, Easter, vacation, Halloween, Thanks- 
giving and a birthday party. 

ANIMAL STORIES 

Children of all ages enjoy stories about ani- 
mals; young children especially enjoy this 
theme. Two books by Grace Skaar, All About 
Dogs , Dogs, Dogs and Nothing But Cats, 
Cats, Cats are favorites of three-year-olds who 
are happily content with the twenty words in 
the text and the large, uncluttered pictures. 
The five-year-old likes the simple but excit- 
ing adventures of Marjorie Flack’s Angus 
stories. All cat-lovers are intrigued by the 
soft furry-looking drawings of Clare New- 
berry’s Smudge and the sleek black illustra- 
tions of April's Kittens. Her pictures are so 
realistic that young children automatically 
reach out to touch them. Leonard Weisgard 
has painted exquisite pictures for the story 
of Mrs. Mallard's Ducklings, while the story 
of Make Way for Ducklings by McCloskey 
has become a classic in the kindergarten. No 
child worries about the vintage of the cars in 
the story, for he is too concerned with the 
safety of Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings in 
the bustle of Boston traffic. Six- and seven- 
year-olds are highly entertained by the story 
of George, a big dog who simply moved in 
with a family. George becomes a problem to 
every member of the family, but Phyllis Row- 
and has made him a very lovable dog — and 
George stays. The Two Little Bears by Ylla 
is a photographic story of two cubs lost in the 
woods. A wise old crow helps them home 
again. 

Children naturally personify animals just 



Children Read Pictures - 103 



Duvoisin’s sketches of a sophisticated lion reflect 
the French flavor and humor of the text. From The 
Happy Lion by Louise Fatio. Illustrated by Roger 
Duvoisin. Whittlesey, 1954. 

as they do their toys. Many stories for young 
children also employ this technique. The 
nonsense verses of Johnny Crow's Garden by 
Brooke amuse preschoolers. They enjoy such 
phrases as the “prepasseroiis rhinoserous” 
and the activities of these dignified animals. 
This book has many of the qualities and ap- 
peals of Mother Goose. Beginning with the 
dearly loved Peter Rabbit stories by Beatrix 
Potter, boys and girls later appreciate that 
almost perfect story by Marjorie Flack, Ask 
Mr. Bear. This seemingly simple tale includes 
repetition, talking animals, an exciting plot, 
suspense, a surprise ending, and the security 
of a warm mother-child relationship; all the 
elements of a good story for a young child. 
Tony Palazzo’s large and bold pictures make 
Susie the Cat and Charley the Horse equal 
favorites with kindergarten and first-grade 
children. The humor and adventure of H. A. 
Rey’s Curious George books account for chil- 
dren’s love of this comical monkey. Almost as 
popular is the sad and amusing tale, by 



Gay color and cartoonlike style personify the little 
tugboat. From Little Toot by Hardie Gramatky. 
Putnam, 1939. 


Payne, of Katy No-Pocket — that poor kan- 
garoo who was faced with the dilemma of 
having no pocket for her baby. More sophisti- 
cated, perhaps, but thoroughly enjoyed are 
the Happy Lion books written by Louise 
Fatio and illustrated by her husband, Roger 
Duvoisin. 

Young children not only personify their 
animals; they readily personify such inani- 
mate objects as machines. Most of the books 
written by Virginia Lee Burton involve per- 
sonification; The Little House , Katy and the 
Big Snow, and Mike Mulligan and His 
Steam Shovel. Katy is a snowplow who saves 
the day by plowing out a whole village. Five- 
and six-year-olds love the story of Mike 
Mulligan and his steam shovel, Mary Ann. 
The Little House has a charming personality 
of her own; and while she thinks and reacts 
as a human being, she never does anything 
contrary to her condition as a house. No 
child should miss the lovely rhythmical pic- 
tures of Virginia Lee Burton which so clearly 



104 - Knowing Children's Literature 

reflect her early interest in ballet. Hardie 
Gramatky has written several books which 
personify the inanimate and are most popu- 
lar with boys and girls. Little Toot is the 
story of a headstrong tugboat in the New 
York harbor who refuses to accept his tug- 
boat responsibilities until a time of crisis. 
Hercules by the same author-illustrator tells 
of the last run of a horse-drawn engine, while 
Loopy is a disobedient airplane. Gramatky's 
illustrations have a Walt Disney flavor, but 
his stories contain true excitement. Walters' 
The Steam Shovel That Wouldn f t Eat Dirt 
is the story of a rebellious steam shovel who 
finally discovers his true purpose in life. In 
an age of automation, it is only natural to 
expect many more such stories of personified 
machines in children's literature. 

ADVENTURE STORIES 

Television-raised children of today crave ex- 
citement and suspense in some of their 
stories. They delight in the intrepid adven- 
tures of Little Tim and the Brave Sea Cap- 
tain , Tim All Alone and Tim to the Rescue 
by Ardizzone. Although Little Tim goes 
through storm and shipwreck, he always 
emerges the hero and returns safely home. 
Dalgliesh has recounted the breath-taking 
adventure of Jonathan as he goes over the 
mountain stoutly chanting, “There are no 
Bears On Hemlock Mountain " — until he 
meets two of them! The inevitable doom of 
Tworkov’s The Camel Who Took a Walk 
is only relieved at the last moment by her 
calm decision to turn around and go back! 
Each of these books has a well-constructed 
plot, discernible build-up to the climax, and 
provides competition for any television pro- 
gram. TV-oriented children also enjoy the 
Indian theme found in the Haders' The 
Mighty Hunter and The Brave Little Indian. 
Five- and six-year-olds are particularly in- 
trigued with the suggested hand actions which 
can accompany The Brave Little Indian by 
the Martins. 

FANTASTIC AND HUMOROUS 

Just as young children crave some excitement 
in their stories, so do they seek fancy and 


fun. Children from five to six are imagina- 
tive, but not highly so. Cappa investigated 
the types of storybooks enjoyed by some 
twenty-five hundred kindergarten children 
and concluded that children this age liked 
stories with a slight element of unreality, 
provided it was not too far removed from 
their understandable experiences. 22 Children 
accept the personification of machines, ani- 
mals and toys; however, the sophisticated 
fairy tale with its subplots is not enjoyed. 
The subtle overtones of the amusing Many 
Moons by Thurber are beyond their compre- 
hension. They do enjoy the folk tales, partic- 
ularly those involving animals like the Three 
Billy Goats or The Three Bears. A favorite 
modern story written in folk-tale style is the 
ever popular Caps For Sale by Slobodkina. 
The subtitle, “A Tale of a Peddler, Some 
Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business," gives 
a clue to the humor of this story. The pre- 
posterous tale, The Duchess Bakes a Cake by 
Kahl, delights six- and seven-year-olds. Young 
children enjoy Anglund's imaginative story. 
The Brave Cowboy. Every morning a pre- 
schooler eats his breakfast, brushes his teeth, 
and feeds the cat. He then puts on his hat, 
pulls on his boots and buckles on his two- 
holster belt and “becomes” a cowboy. In his 
pretending, he rounds up a camp of rustlers, 
hunts Indians, shoots a rattlesnake, captures 
an angry mountain lion, or rides across the 
prairie. All of his wild imaginings are illus- 
trated in vivid red, while the little boy cow- 
boy is done in black and white. Children 
know this is a “pretend story" but they iden- 
tify readily with The Brave Cowboy. A more 
fanciful tale for primary age children is the 
story of The March Wind by Inez Rice. The 
exciting vivid pictures by Bobri help to cre- 
ate this magical story of a little boy who 
found the March Wind’s hat in a gutter one 
morning. Instead of returning it, he wore it. 
Somehow the hat made him feel as brave as 
a soldier, wild as a cowboy, important as a 
judge, and just as gay as a song-and-dance 

“Dan Cappa, “Types of Storybooks Enjoyed by 
Kindergarten Children,” Journal of Educational Psy- 
chology 49:555-7, March, 1956. 



Children Read Pictures - 105 


man — until the March Wind demanded that 
he return his hat. Miss Rice describes this 
story as “a moment of a little boy's belief.” 

Much of children's humor is simple and 
obvious. They enjoy the pure nonsense found 
in Is This You? by Krauss and Was It a Good 
Trade? by de Regniers. Freeman’s Mop Top 
tells the story of a little boy who didn’t want 
his hair cut until he was mistaken for a floor 
mop. Children in kindergarten and first 
grade find this story of mistaken identity hi- 
larious. They also laugh at the silly antics of 
the boy in Ruth Krauss’ book who decides to 
spend The Backward Day. They feel very 
superior to the silly goose Petunia who as- 
sumes she has acquired wisdom because she 
finds a book. Duvoisin’s pictures show Pe- 
tunia holding her head higher and higher 
until it stretches off the page. Children heart- 
ily enjoy the incongruity of Weisgard’s Clean 
Pig forcing the entire family into new pat- 
terns of cleanliness. Crockett Johnson in 


Harold and the Purple Crayon combines 
humor with fantasy in this highly amusing 
tale of a small boy who “draws” himself in 
and out of exciting adventures. Some of the 
Dr. Seuss stories are too sophisticated for 
children under six. However, they never fail 
to sympathize with Horton Hatches an Egg 
and laugh uproariously at the conclusion. 
They appreciate the tongue-in-cheek humor 
ol the author’s wild descriptions of the ani- 
mals in And to Think that I Saw It on Mul- 
berry Street. 

The humorous manipulation of language 
patterns is part of the good fun of many of 
the books by Seuss. Ruth Krauss has capital- 
ized upon children’s enjoyment of the sound 
of words in A Very Special House. Part of the 
joy of this book is the thought of a very spe- 
cial house where you can do all the things 
you can’t do in a regular house. The fact that 
this is a pretend house is finally admitted “in 
very special language” on the last page: 


Sendak’s droll figures are as much fun as the amusing text. From A Very Special House 
by Ruth Krauss. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Harper, 1953. 




106 - Knowing Children's Literature 

I know a house — 
and it’s not up in a tree 
or underneath the bed — 

Oh it's right in the middle — 

Oh it's ret in the meedle — 

Oh it's root in the moodle of my head head 
head . 28 

Humor in children's literature should always 
consist of laughing with the characters, never 
laughing at them. Bemelmans’ Madeline is 
for children (the reader laughs with her in 
her gay and daring antics) ; whereas Eloise 
by Kay Thompson is for adults (the reader 
laughs at her). Whenever an author produces 
amusement at a child's expense, at his pre- 
cociousness, his innocence, or his frankness, 
his writing is for sophisticated adult con- 
sumption, not children's enjoyment. 

Illustrators of Picture Books 

The illustrations for a picture book are as 
important as the text. The interested student 
of children's literature needs to have a wide 
knowledge of the characteristics of the vari- 
ous illustrators’ work. Today there are so 
many artists illustrating children’s books, 
that it is very difficult to develop a frame of 
reference for remembering the unique quali- 
ties of each well-known book artist. Perhaps 
great illustrators defy classification unless 
they could be recognized by their very ability 
to adapt style, media, and approach to the 
particular demands of each work. It is dan- 
gerous, therefore, to attempt to categorize 
the talents of creative artists. However, for 
the purpose of helping the student begin to 
identify leading contributors to the field of 
illustration for children, the following de- 
scriptions have been made. This list includes 
only picture-book artists and does not men- 
tion the many fine artists who are illustrating 
books for older boys and girls. It is by no 
means an exhaustive list of illustrators for 
younger children, and the authors are well- 
aware of many omissions. The style of paint- 
ing or drawing of most illustrators is as char- 

13 Ruth Krauss, A Very Special House. Illustrated 
by Maurice Sendak. New York: Harper & Brothers, 
1953. Unpaged. 


acteristic as their signatures. This is not 
always the case, however. Marie Hall Ets has 
used at least three different approaches to her 
book-illustrating. Her Play With Me and 
The Cow Party present a quiet mood both by 
the text and the pastel illustrations. The 
black and white effect of Ets' “paper batik” 
work for the Little Old Automobile and Mr. 
Penny* s Race Horse is most appropriate for 
the folk-tale quality of these stories. The bril- 
liant use of color in her Caldecott winner, 
Nine Days to Christmas, is a departure from 
both of these latter approaches. Garth Wil- 
liams is another artist who varies his style 
with the text. He is well-known for his soft, 
furry-looking animals in such books as The 
Rabbits ’ Wedding and Wait Till the Moon 
is Full. His brightly colored illustrations of 
the little girl in Over and Over reflect a ten- 
derness towards childhood. Williams has 
also illustrated books for children in the 
middle grades. He spent ten years making 
hundreds of black and white sketches for the 
recent uniform edition of the Wilder “Little 
House” books. These illustrations capture 
the emotions of the family and present clear 
details of frontier living. Williams has also 
illustrated E. B. White's two books, Stuart 
Little and Charlotte’s Web, with humorous 
black-and-white drawings. 

“quiet and quaint illustrations” 

The work of some book artists may be best 
described as being quiet or demure. Eliza- 
beth Orton Jones uses soft pastel colors for 
her pictures. She is particularly skilled in 
capturing expressions on children's faces. Al- 
most all of her group pictures of boys and 
girls include children of other races, Negro 
or Oriental. Her children may wear Girl 
Scout or Brownie uniforms, glasses, or rum- 
pled jeans, for they are always natural and 
appealing-looking. Marguerite de Angeli is 
also adept at portraying children. The babies 
in her Mother Goose book are delightful. 
She uses soft, yet clear colors in a restrained 
quiet manner. The background and settings 
in her Mother Goose, Thee, Hannah!, and 
Skippack School are authentic and detailed. 



Children Read Pictures - 107 


Tasha Tudor’s work is also quaint and quiet. 
The diminutive size of her books increases 
this cozy reaction. Her children are fre- 
quently dressed in old-fashioned clothes as 
in Pumpkin Moonshine, Linsey Woolsey, 
One Is One, and Edgar Allan Crow . The 
Flora McFlimsey books by Mariana may be 
placed in this category. Her illustrations for 
Little Bear's Sunday Breakfast by Janice are 
delightful and most appropriate for this 
modern tale based upon the The Three 
Bears . The illustrations by Mary Chalmers 
for Big Brother by Zolotow are distinguish- 
able by their shy sweetness. Kevin and 
George Appleton, written and illustrated 
by Chalmers are both childlike and diminu- 
tive. Palmer Brown has portrayed the tiny 
world of mice in his small volumes, Cheerful 
and Something for Christmas. His pictures 
are charmingly detailed. Joan Walsh Ang- 
lund’s books, A Friend Is Someone Who Likes 
You, Love Is a Special Way of Feeling, and 
Look Out the Window have an old-fashioned, 
Victorian quality. Even her illustrations for 
The Brave Cowboy show gentleness and del- 
icacy under the bravado of five-year-old 
make-believe. Children enjoy these quiet and 
quaint books when they are intimately shared 
in the family. The size of most of these books 
makes it almost impossible to use them with 
a classroom group. 

“realistic pictures” 

The world of nature has been realistically 
portrayed in the work of Adrienne Adams. 
Her delicately colored illustrations for Aileen 
Fisher’s Going Barefoot show much variety 
in her approach. The pictures for Goudey’s 
book, Houses from the Sea, present a detailed 
illustration of a particular shell against a 
beautiful soft seascape. Weisgard uses rich 
greens and blues to introduce children to 
The Little Island. Using only soft greens, he 
has given life to the many little creatures 
and plants described in Margaret Wise 
Brown’s poetry book, Nibble Nibble. He has 
also illustrated Brown’s popular The Gol- 
den Egg Book with beautifully detailed back- 
grounds of wild flowers, birds, and little 


woodland animals. Weisgard has vividly por- 
trayed The Little Lost Lamb by MacDonald 
and Mrs. Mallard's Ducklings by Delafield. 
With rich oranges and browns, he has cap- 
tured the flavor of early-American art in his 
own Mr. Peaceable Paints. However, his stylis- 
tic illustrations of the “Noisy Books” by 
Brown are very different from his usual, re- 
freshingly realistic pictures. The Haders por- 
tray the animal world realistically with 
richly colored pictures in The Big Snow, 
Lost in The Zoo, and Wish on the Moon. 
The lovely still scenes of The Big Snow won 
them the Caldecott Award. 

The books of Dorothy Lathrop show the 
gentle world of nature. She paints small 
animals with delicate precision in her book. 
Let Them Live. An earlier book, Animals 
of the Bible was the first recipient of the Cal- 
decott Medal. Zhenya Gay's soft pencil 
sketches portray appealing scenes from na- 
ture in her book Look ! Her children are 
whimsical and appealing. Clare Newberry is 
best known for her cuddly or sleek kittens 
sketched in characteristic poses. In April's 
Kittens she has used a velvety black on white 
background which makes a sharp contrast. 
The cats and kittens in Smudge have a soft. 

Charcoal drawings create the texture of sleek, soft 
fnr and show realistic movement and postures. 
From Aprils Kittens by Clare Newberry. Illustra- 
tions by Clare Turlay Newberry. Harper, 1940. 




108 - Knowing Children's Literature 

rounded, textured look. This tangible qual- 
ity is characteristic of Newberry’s work. 

Rich black on white pictures are used by 
Wesley Dennis to illustrate his horse stories, 
Flip and Flip and the Cows. These are popu- 
lar picture books for second and third grad- 
ers. Dennis illustrates many of Marguerite 
Henry’s excellent horse stories for older boys 
and girls. C. W. Anderson is well-known for 
his illustrations of horses, also. His Blaze 
stories are much-liked by third graders. His 
horses are well-drawn and finely propor- 
tioned. 

Lynd Ward has told his exciting story of 
The Biggest Bear through the medium of 
realistic black and white drawings. The bear 
has amazingly human expressions, but 
Johnny, his family, and neighbors are rugged 
men of the land. This is Ward’s only picture 
book although he is well-known for his dra- 
matic illustrations of biographies. Bold black 
and white illustrations are utilized by Rob- 
ert Lawson for his book. They Were Strong 
and Good. Lawson also used black-and-white 
drawings to illustrate Munro Leaf’s amusing 
stories of Ferdinand and Wee Gillis. These 
illustrations showed more of the humor 
which so characterizes Lawson’s illustrations 
for his books for older children such as Ben 
and Me , Mr. Twigg f s Mistake, and Mr. Re- 
vere and I. The finely detailed pen and ink 
landscapes and small animals pictured in 
Rabbit Hill represent a different style of il- 
lustrating by this versatile artist. Du Bois 
draws beautifully precise pictures which are 
full of wit and action. Some are black and 
white and others are handsome color draw- 
ings. The illustrations for Lion are highly 
imaginative yet detailed. The favorite “Otto” 
stories portray the adventures of a huge but 
believable yellow dog. The ever popular 
Make Way for Ducklings was illustrated by 
McCloskey with warm sepia drawings. His 
ducklings and the midtown scenery of the 
Boston Public Garden are true to life in 
every detail. This illustrator used only blue 
and white in Blueberries for Sal and One 
Morning in Maine. His people look real, par- 
ticularly his sometimes unkempt, but ap- 


pealing, children. In Time of Wonder, Mc- 
Closkey uses rich water colors for the first 
time. The varied pictures in this award-win- 
ning book are less realistic than his others, 
but complement the mood of his lovely text. 

Barbara Cooney’s illustrations are difficult 
to describe as they change with each new 
work. Her Caldecott book, Chanticleer, will 
be remembered for its beautiful, clear colors 
and well-designed pages. The little poor farm 
of the Middle Ages with its wattled fence and 
thatched roof is as carefully drawn as the 
brilliant ochre and vermillion rooster and 
the sly, rusty fox. The children in this book 
are natural looking and appealing. Cooney’s 
illustrations for The Man Who Didn't Wash 
His Dishes written by Krasilovsky are more 
stylized than those of Chanticleer, although 
they have the same clear coloring. 

The illustrations .for The Box with Red 
Wheels and The Rooster Crows by the Peter- 
shams are distinguished by their brilliance 
and realism. Their book, The Christ Child, 
is beautifully illustrated in clear rich colors. 
Rojankovsky’s gay, bright pictures for his 
Mother Goose book are humorous and filled 
with action. His children are naughty, seri- 
ous, happy, and irresistible! His quiet and 
more sophisticated illustrations for Frog 
Went A Courtin are particularly appropri- 
ate to this old verse. The d’Aulaires have 
used deep, glowing pictures to illustrate their 
story-biographies of Lincoln, Columbus, Po- 
cahontas, and Buffalo Bill. They have cap- 
tured the rugged awkwardness of youth in 
their portrayal of Lincoln. Their illustra- 
tions for Ola and Nils reflect the peasant art 
of the Scandinavian countries. James Daugh- 
erty’s illustrations are powerful and vigorous 
and seem to have the very flavor of the pio- 
neer spirit in them. He has illustrated two 
picture books, Andy and the Lion and El- 
kins’ The Loudest Noise in the World. His 
pictures portray movement and action. 

“modern stylized pictures” 

The work of many book artists can be char- 
acterized as stylized, even though they vary 
from the flat looking pictures in primary 



Children Read Pictures - 109 


color of Marjorie Flack to the striking mod- 
ern illustrations of Mordvinoff. The versa- 
tile art of Duvoisin ranges from the sketchy 
line drawings of his Petunia books to bril- 
liant crispness in White Snow , Bright Snow . 
His illustrations for the Happy Lion books 
are more detailed. In Frog in the Well by 
Tresselt, Duvoisin has captured the cool 
greens of the frog’s world in contrast to the 
springlike world outside. He has used bril- 
liant splashes of color in his own book The 
House of Four Seasons. Helen Sewell’s style 
of illustrating has changed throughout the 
years from a realistic to a more modern ap- 
proach. Her stiff, stylized illustrations for 
Dalgliesh’s Thanksgiving Stoiy are in keep- 
ing with those stern pilgrims. Children read- 
ily accept the modern blue-and-white illus- 
trations for Bears on Hemlock Mountain by 
the same author. 

The Swiss artist, Carigiet, combines a 
stylized, childlike technique of painting with 
fascinating attention to detail. His full-color 
large illustrations for A Bell for Ursli, Fiorina 
and the Wild Bird , and The Snowstorm , by 
Chon/, are beautiful and exciting. Bettina 
reflects the cosmopolitan background ol her 
life in her lively and interesting water col- 
ors. Most of the settings of her picture books 
are in Italy, particularly her stories of Cocolo 
and Pantaloni. The pictures by Yashima for 
Crow Boy , Umbrella , and Village Tree are 
as unusual as they are beautiful. Small de- 
tails such as the design of a patch on a boy’s 
shirt, the lines on the ceiling, or on a desk 
are all considered worthy of illustration. The 
pictures of the lovely sweeping pattern of the 
village tree and the far away countryside of 
Chibi’s house, are not easily forgotten. The 
art work of Politi has a distinctively childlike 
simplicity. His pictures have almost a primi- 
tive effect, showing people with oversized 
feet and hands. He has used muted colors in 
Song of the Swallows and rich, deeper tones 
in The Columbus Story. His story, The But- 
terflies Come, shows the return of the Mon- 
arch butterflies in a picture brilliant with 
orange butterflies. 

Helen Stone illustrates city scenes in Mc- 


Ginley's The Horse Who Lived Upstairs and 
All Around the Town . Her pictures are mod- 
ern and somewhat sketchy in appearance. 
Esphyr Slobodkina uses a highly stylized ap- 
proach in her Caps for Sale , Wonderful Feast 
and Brown’s Little Farmer. Using small dots, 
she builds up her picture in a fashion re- 
sembling pointilism. Her people and animals 
seem flat. Remy Charlip’s illustrating is also 
stylized and somewhat childlike. His illustra- 
tions for The Dead Bird by Brown make use 
of strongly contrasting greens, blues and yel- 
lows. He has captured vividly the curious and 
yet serious concern of these young children 
who find a dead bird. 

Simont has illustrated several books for 
Krauss such as The Backward Day, The 
Happy Day, The Big World and The Little 
House. He also illustrated and received the 
Caldecott Award for A Tree Is Nice. His 
style varies with the subject. The Happy Day 
shows many quite realistic animals running 
to see the first flower of spring. His people 
are frequently caricatured as in A Tree Is 
Nice and The Backward Day. He makes good 
use of brilliant colors to illustrate alternate 
pages of A T ree Is Nice. Phyllis Rowand has 
established a singular style of illustrating. 
The pictures for her book, George, are as hu- 
morous and sophisticated as the story which 
tells of a dog who adopts a family. Her styl- 
ized illustrations are characterized by many 
lines. The animals are all drawn with the 
tight curly coat of a poodle. The pictures 
have much movement and action in them. 
The illustrations by Ungerer for Crictor and 
Emile are sophisticated and amusing. Crictor 
is an obliging snake who helps Boy Scouts 
learn to tie knots and allows himself to be 
used as a jump rope and slide. Emile is an 
equally amazing octopus. Ungerer ’s quiet and 
restrained illustrations give a certain dignity 
and belief to these highly preposterous situa- 
tions. The ethereal and impressionistic scenes 
of Cinderella by Marcia Brown are sugges- 
tive of fairyland. Using pastel colors of pinks 
and blues, Miss Brown has created the deli- 
cate land of make believe. In Felice she has 
used deep purples and blues contrasted with 



110 - Knowing Children's Literature 

yellow to capture the flavor of Venice. Her 
people and scenes have the same sketchy mys- 
tical quality which is characteristic of her 
Cinderella . Louis Slobodkin 's work is very 
similar to Marcia Brown's. The pictures by 
Slobodkin suggest the fairy tale quality of 
the delightful modem fantasy by Thurber, 
Many Moons . His figures are sketchy and 
not complete. With a few lines, he suggests 
the grandeur of the palace in Shoes Fit for a 
King by Helen Bill. Slobodkin uses brighter 
colors than Marcia Brown. An occasional 
brilliant red will call attention to a particu- 
larly important object in the story. Both these 
artists are skillful interpreters of make-be- 
lieve. 

FOLK ART 

The rhythm of both the text and pictures 
of Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag suggests 
a certain folk quality. Her winding land- 
scapes flow with the repetitive phrases of her 
stories. A curved line of a tree is repeated by 
the curve of the little old man's back. Her 
people look like dwarfs or gnomes and reflect 
the artist's Bohemian background. Her illus- 
trations are small; some are in black and 
white, while others such as those for Nothing 
At All make use of bright oranges and greens. 
Virginia Lee Burton’s work is reminiscent of 
that of Gag. The rolling hills in Burton’s 
The Little House reflect similar rhythm and 
unity with the text. With lovely colors. Bur- 
ton has painted the changing seasons and the 
changing countryside. Her pictures for Katy 
and The Big Snow and Mike Mulligan show 
the same use of curving lines and rhythmical 
pattern. The pictures for May belle, The 
Cable Car are more highly stylized and make 
use of a decorative border framing each pic- 
ture. 

Virginia Kahl's modem folk tales are illus- 
trated with bold reds, greens, and yellows. 
The characters in The Duchess Bakes a Cake 
and Plum Pudding for Christmas look like 
the little wooden figures which are made in 
the Black Forest of Germany. The borders 
in Maxie and A way Went Wolfgang add to 
the folk art quality of Kahl's work. Francoise 


also uses bright gay colors to illustrate her 
Jeanne-Marie books. Her pictures reflect the 
decorative skill of peasant art. Jeanne-Marie 
and her sheep Patapon are painted clearly 
against borders of bright flowers and birds. 
The designs of the Pennsylvania Dutch have 
been presented to children by Katherine Mil- 
hous in her books, An Egg Tree and Appo- 
Ionia's Valentine. These designs are authen- 
tic and preserve a particular folk art of the 
United States. 

CARTOON-LIKE PICTURES 

Some illustrators for children utilize a style 
of art which has a cartoonlike quality. The 
sketchy line drawings of Ardizzone for his 
“Little Tim” books are similar to some of 
the newspaper funnies. His earlier books even 
include his characters' conversations in bal- 
loons like the comics. However, Ardizzone’s 
use of blurred water color to suggest a storm 
at sea, his ability to portray action, and his 
characterization of people place his work far 
above the comic-strip artist. Bemelmans' pic- 
tures also have a cartoonlike quality, both 
when they are painted in simple yellows and 
blacks or when they make use of a riot of 
color. His pictures too have much action — 
Miss Clavel racing through the halls, Mad- 
eline falling off the bridge, or the twelve 
little girls marching in two straight lines. 

The pictures by H. A. Rey for his Curious 
George books are filled with action. They are 
flat, brightly colored, and emphasize the hu- 
mor and plot of the story. The illustrations 
by Jean de Brunhoff for his Babar stories 
have this same flat quality. Children enjoy 
their bright colors and humor. The words 
“On Beyond Imagination” could best de- 
scribe some of the wildly exaggerated pic- 
tures by Dr. Seuss. Seuss utilizes brilliant 
primary colors and line sketches to produce 
his zany world of imagination. The pictures 
for some of his earlier books such as Horton 
Hatches An Egg, McElligot’s Pool, And to 
Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street are 
less grotesque than some of his more recent 
illustrating. 

Margaret Graham has drawn comical 



characters for many of Gene Zion's amusing 
stories such as Harry, The Dirty Dog, No 
Roses For Harry, Dear Garbage Man and 
The Plant Sitter. These illustrations are 
large, simple, usually painted in dull greens 
and oranges, with heavy black outlines. Gra- 
ham's beautiful landscapes for The Storm 
Book by Zolotow are in striking contrast to 
her other bold cartoonlike pictures. Maurice 
Sendak has captured the hilarious action and 
ridiculous fun of Ruth Krauss' tales of A 
Very Special House, I Want To Paint My 
Bathroom Blue, and Til Be You and You Be 
Me. The uninhibited caperings of his droll 
children reflect the almost adult humor of 
A Hole Is To Dig. The “animalities" in Lit- 
tle Bear by Minarik have been pictured with 
this same droll humor. In The Moon Jump- 
ers Sendak used cool colors to portray pure 
joy rather than the humor of his other work. 
The simple purple line drawings of Crockett 
Johnson for Harold And The Purple Crayon 
stories are fresh and amusing. They are so 
popular that Johnson has almost been type 
cast to illustrate this particular kind of story. 
Hardie Gramatky has written and illustrated 
the stories of Loopy, Little Toot and Her- 
cules. He personifies his illustrations with 
the same engaging humor which character- 
izes his stories. His pictures have action and 
personality. They, however, do reflect the 
years Gramatky worked for Walt Disney. 

DESIGN ARTISTS 

A few book artists are modern designers. The 
brilliant pictures of Paul Rand in Sparkle 
and Spin and I Know a Lot of Things reflect 
his interest in design. The very print of the 
page may be utilized to form a part of Rand’s 
pictures. Bold black and white will be off- 
set by a splash of purple or orange. Stylized 
drawings may be mixed with an almost pho- 
tographic sketch of sea shells. The total effect 
of his pictures is one of bright unity. The 
large sophisticated cut-out books by Munari 
are ingeniously designed to appeal to the 
manipulating interest of young children. The 
Birthday Present tells the story of Mark, the 
truck driver's attempt to deliver his son's 



Frasconi has used brilliant splashes of color and 
modern woodcuts to illustrate “The Cock That 
Crowed in the Morn.” From The House That Jack 
Built by Antonio Frasconi. Harcourt, 1958. 


present. The pages become smaller and 
smaller as Mark has to change his truck for 
a car, his car for a motorcycle, then a bike, 
a scooter and so on until he gets within sight 
of his house which looms larger and larger 
until it becomes a full-sized page again. The 
fun of Munari's books is in their uniqueness 
and simplicity. Some of the most original 
books of recent years for young children have 
been created by Antonio Frasconi. He has 
used boldly colored woodcuts to illustrate 
his See and Say, a book of simple words in 
four languages and The House That Jack 
Built. These modern woodcuts are hand- 
somely designed and make an exciting book 
for children. 

CAMERA ARTISTS 

Some photographers are particularly adept 
at composing pictures which delight children. 
Ylla is perhaps best known for her many 
photographic stories of animals. In close-up 
shots of the Two Little Bears she has cap- 
tured the almost human expression of mis- 
chievousness, boredom, curiosity, and con- 




112 - Knowing Children's Literature 

tentment. All these pictures portray action 
in amusing situations. The photographs for 
her Animal Babies are especially appealing 
and whimsical. Tensen has presented clear 
pictorial accounts in her books Come to The 
Farm and Come to The City. Her pictures 
are large and focus on only one or two ani- 
mals or objects. Distracting backgrounds are 
eliminated. Dare Wright has pictured the 
world of toys in her “Lonely Doll” books. 
Even though she is photographing still-life 
scenes, her pictures contain action. Large 
close-ups of her dolls and stuffed bears make 
them seem very much alive. Anna Riwkin- 
Brick is noted for her living photographs of 
children from many parts of the world in 
her book, Eva Visits Noriko-San, and in the 
books by Astrid Lindgren, My Swedish Cous- 
ins and Sia Lives on Kilimanjaro . Her photo- 
graphs capture the universal appeal of chil- 
dren, and the background and spirit of other 
lands. Children appear to enjoy photo- 
graphic stories provided they are presented 
with simplicity and skill by a camera artist 
who knows children and his subject. 

SUMMARY 

Children cannot be introduced to books too 
early. The young child in the early stages 
of language development enjoys the process 
of identifying and naming the objects or ani- 
mals found in alphabet books and counting 
books. He is attracted to the language pat- 
tern of Mother Goose, the alliterative sound 
of the words, the rhyme, and nonsense verse. 
The characters and stories of Mother Goose 
appeal to him also. Every child should have 
an opportunity to see and hear at least one 
of the many varied and beautiful Mother 
Goose editions. 

The twentieth century has witnessed the 
phenomenal growth of picture books and 
picture storybooks. These books are well- 
written and beautifully illustrated. The text 
and pictures are so unified that children may 
“read” the pictures as an adult reads the 
story. Children do not appear to enjoy any 


one style of illustrating better than another. 
They prefer colored pictures, but some of 
the most popular picture storybooks are 
black and white. More important than color, 
media, or style in the making of a picture 
book is the question of appropriateness to 
the text. Do the pictures reflect the mood, 
action, and characterization of the story? 
Themes of picture storybooks mirror the in- 
terests and concerns of the young child for 
himself and family, for everyday experiences 
and new experiences. His curiosity about 
many items is reflected in the development 
of new “concept books” or “awareness” 
books. Frequently these are closely related 
to books about the weather or different sea- 
sons. Children are always interested in sto- 
ries about animals. Young children enjoy 
personified animals or talking beasts. They 
frequently personify their toys and particu- 
larly like stories in which machines may be 
personified. Adventure, humor, and fantasy 
appeal to all ages. The style, color, and me- 
dia preferences of over sixty illustrators of 
picture books were identified and described. 
It was recognized that this list could not do 
justice to the many fine illustrators of chil- 
dren’s books. 

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 

1. Read a story to a three-year-old. See how 
many different ways you can provide for 
his participation in the story. 

2. Compare three different editions of 
Mother Goose noticing selection of verses, 
illustrations, and format. 

3. Share with the class one or two examples 
of a concept book. What is the concept 
which is explained? How well does the 
author present his material? 

4. Present several books which use different 
styles of illustrations and different media 
to a group of primary children. Which 
ones do they seem to prefer? Why? 

5. Compare several books which have been 
illustrated by the same person. Is it pos- 
sible to identify his particular style of art? 



Children Read Pictures - 113 


Does he vary it with different content? 

6. Begin to develop a card file on well-known 
illustrators. What is their particular style 
of illustrating? Do they tend to illustrate 
a particular subject (cats, for example) ? 
Do they prefer working in a certain me- 
dium? What books have they illustrated 
previously? Find interesting anecdotes to 
tell to children about these illustrators, 
which will make their art work more in- 
teresting and vital to students. 

7. Compare books which have been devel- 
oped on the same subject — lions, bears, 
farms, the new baby, etc. How do they 
differ in their presentation? 

8. Observe children during a story hour 
either at school or during the library story 
hour. Record their reactions — either ver- 
bal comments, facial expressions, or body 
movement. 


RELATED READINGS 

1. Heffernan, Helen and Vivian E. Todd. The Kinder- 

garten Teacher. Boston: D. C. Heath, 1960. 
Chapter Twelve, “Introducing Children To 
Literature”, describes the place of picture books 
in the kindergarten program. The authors dis- 
cuss the selection of books, storytelling, inter- 
pretation of literature and developing apprecia- 
tion for books. They include a list of books and 
films which may be appropriately used with the 
five-year-old. 

2. Mahony, Bertha E., et al. Illustrators of Children's 

Books 1744-1945. Boston: The Horn Book Inc., 
1947. 

The first of two volumes, this book includes the 
history and development of illustrated books. 
The article by Helen Gentry titled “Graphic 
Processes in Children’s Books” gives a detailed 
but clear description of the various methods and 
processes used in printing illustrations. Lynd 
Ward’s article, “The Book Artist: Yesterday and 
Tomorrow” describes the importance of picture 
books for children, the contributions of artists 
from abroad, and the variety of character and 
style of illustrating. 

3. Miller, Bertha Mahony, et al. Illustrators of Chil- 

dren's Books 1946-1956. Boston: The Horn Book, 
Inc., 1958. 

This book is a supplement to the above ref- 
erence. It contains many short biographical 
sketches of illustrators and several excellent dis- 


cussions of the art in children's books. Marcia 
Brown’s article, “Distinction in Picture Books" 
and Lynd Ward's “The Book Artist: Ideas and 
Technique” are both highly recommended. 

4. Miller, Bertha Mahony and Elinor W. Field. 

Caldecott Medal Books: 1938-1957 . Boston: The 
Horn Book, 1957. 

This volume includes a biography and the ac- 
ceptance speech of each artist who has won the 
Caldecott Award. Their acceptance papers fre- 
quently reveal their convictions about illustrating 
for children; they are fascinating reading. In a 
final article titled, “What Is A Picture Book" 
Esther Averill candidly evaluates the award- 
winning books. She is not always in agreement 
with the awards and her article makes lively 
reading. 

5. Smith, Lillian H. The Unreluctant Years. Chicago: 

American Library Association, 1953. 

Lillian Smith considers five picture books in a 
depth analysis of the criteria for fine illustrating 
for young children. Her chapter, “Picture Books" 
j is a discriminating appraisal of contemporary 
picture books. 

6. White, Dorothy Neal. About Books for Children. 

New York: Oxford University Press, 1958. 

An Australian librarian writes knowingly about 
children’s books. She includes many American 
publications in her well-written chapter on pic- 
ture books. She also emphasizes the cosmopolitan 
aspect of the many picture books illustrated by 
artists from European backgrounds. 


CHAPTER REFERENCES 

Alexander, Anne. Noise in the Night. Pictures by 
Abner Graboff. Skokie, 111.: Rand McNally & Com- 
pany, 1960. 

Anderson, Clarence W. (author-illustrator) . Billy and 
Blaze. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1936. 

Blaze Finds the Trail. New York: The Mac- 
millan Company, 1950. 

Anglund, Joan Walsh (author-illustrator) . The 
Brave Cowboy. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Com- 
pany, 1959. 

A Friend Is Someone Who Likes You. New 

York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1958. 

Look Out the Window. New York: Harcourt, 

Brace & Company, 1959. 

Love Is a Special Way of Feeling. New York: 

Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1960. 

Ardizzone, Edward (author-illustrator) . Little Tim 
and the Brave Sea Captain. New York: Henry Z. 
Walck, Inc., 1955. 

Tim All Alone. New York: Henry Z. Walck, 

Inc., 1957. 



1 14 - Knowing Children’s Literature 

Tim to the Rescue . New York: Henry Z. 

Walck, Inc., 1949. 

d’Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar Parin (authors-illus- 
trators) . Abraham Lincoln . New York: Doubleday 
& Company, Inc., 1957. 

The Magic Meadow . New York: Doubleday & 

Company, Inc., 1958. 

Ola. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 

1952. 

Bemelmans, Ludwig (author-illustrator) . Madeline . 
New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1959. 

Madeline’s Rescue . New York: The Viking 

Press, 1955. 

Berman, Rhoda. When You Were a Little Baby . Illus- 
trated by Mariana. New York: Lothrop, Lee & 
Shepard Co. Inc., 1954. 

Bettina, pseud. (Bettina Ehrlich) . (author-illus- 
trator) . Cocolo Comes to America. New York: 
Harper & Brothers, 1949. 

Pantaloni. New York: Harper & Brothers, 

1957. 

Bill, Helen E. Shoes Fit For a King. Illustrated by 
Louis Slobodkin. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 
1956. 

Brooke, Leslie (author-illustrator) . Johnny Crow’s 
Garden. New York: Frederick Wame & Company, 
Inc., 1903. 

Brooke, Leslie (illustrator) . Ring O’ Roses. New 
York: Frederick Wame & Company, Inc., n.d. 
Brown, Marcia (author-illustrator) . Cinderella. New 
York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1954. 

Felice. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 

1958. 

Brown, Margaret Wise. The City Noisy Book. Illus- 
trated by Leonard Weisgard. New York: Harper & 
Brothers, 1939. 

The Country Noisy Book. Illustrated by 

Leonard Weisgard. New York: Harper & Brothers, 
1940. 

The Dead Bird. Illustrated by Remy Charlip. 

New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1958. 

The Duck. Photographs by Ylla. New York: 

Harper & Brothers, 1952. 

Golden Egg Book. Illustrated by Leonard 

Weisgard. New York: Golden Press, 1947. 

The Important Book. Illustrated by Leonard 

Weisgard. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1949. 

Little Cowboy. Illustrated by Helen Stone. 

New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1948. 

Little Farmer. Illustrated by Helen Stone. 

New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1948. 

Nibble, Nibble . Illustrated by Leonard Weis- 
gard. New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1959. 

Sleepy ABC. Illustrated by Esphyr Slobodkina. 

New York: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Co. Inc., 

1953. 

Sleepy Little Lion. Photographs by Ylla. New 

York: Harper & Brothers, 1947. 


Wait Till the Moon Is Full. Illustrated by 

Garth Williams. New York: Harper & Brothers, 

1948. 

Brown, Myra Berry. Company’s Coming for Dinner. 
Illustrated by Dorothy Marino. New York: Franklin 
Watts, Inc., 1959. 

Brown, Palmer (author- illustrator) . Cheerful . New 
York: Harper & Brothers, 1957. 

Something for Christmas. New York: Harper 

& Brothers, 1958. 

Brunhoff, Jean de (author-illustrator) . Babar and 
Father Christmas. New York: Random House, Inc., 

1949. 

The Story of Babar. New York: Random 

House, Inc., 1933. 

Buckley, Helen. Grandfather and I. Illustrated by 
Paul Galdone. New York: Lothrop, Lee and 
Shepard Co. Inc., 1959. 

Budney, Blossom. A Kiss Is Round. Illustrated by 
Vladimir Bobri. New York: Lothrop, Lee and 
Shepard Co. Inc., 1954. 

Burton, Virginia (author-illustrator) . Katy and the 
Big Snow. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 
1943. 

The Little House. Boston: Houghton Mifflin 

Company, 1942. 

Maybelle, the Cable Car. Boston: Houghton 

Mifflin Company, 1952. 

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Boston: 

Houghton Mifflin Company, 1939. 

Chalmers, Mary (author-illustrator) . George Apple- 
ton. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1957. 

Kevin. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1957. 

Chonz, Selina. A Bell for Ursli. Illustrated by Alois 
Carigiet. New York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 1953. 

Fiorina and the Wild Bird. Illustrated by 

Alois Carigiet. New York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 
1953. 

The Snowstorm. Illustrated by Alois Carigiet. 

New York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 1958. 

Clark, Kay. All by Herself. Illustrated by Allen Shaw. 
Plakie Toys, 1950. 

All by Himself. Illustrated by Allen Shaw. 

Plakie Toys, 1950. 

Cleary, Beverly. The Hulabaloo ABC. Illustrated by 
Earl Thollander. Berkeley, Calif.: Parnassus Press, 
1960. 

Cooney, Barbara (illustrator) . Chanticleer and the 
Fox. By Geoffrey Chaucer. New York: Thomas Y. 
Crowell, 1958. 

Dalgliesh, Alice. The Bears on Hemlock Mountain. 
Illustrated by Helen Sewell. New York: Charles 
Scribner’s Sons, 1952. 

The Columbus Story. Illustrated by Leo Politi. 

New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1955. 

The Thanksgiving Story. Illustrated by Helen 

Sewell. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1954. 



Children Read Pictures - 115 


Daugherty, James (author- illustrator) . Andy and the 
Lion. New York: The Viking Press, 1938. 

Dawson, Rosemary and Richard. A Walk in the City. 
Illustrated by Richard Dawson. New York: The 
Viking Press, 1950. 

De Angeli, Marguerite (author-illustrator) . Book of 
Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes. New York: 
Doubleday 8c Company, Inc., 1954. 

Skippack School. New York: Doubleday & 

Company, Inc., 1939. 

Thee, Hannah! New York: Doubleday 8c Com- 
pany, Inc., 1940. 

Delafield, Celia. Mrs. Mallard’s Ducklings. Illustrated 
by Leonard Weisgard. New York: Lothrop, Lee and 
Shepard Co. Inc., 1946. 

Dennis, Wesley (author-illustrator) . Flip. New York: 
The Viking Press, 1941. 

Flip and the Cows. New York: The Viking 

Press, 1942. 

De Regniers, Beatrice. Was It A Good Trade? Illus- 
trated by Irene Haas. New York: Harcourt, Brace 
& Company, 1956. 

Doisneau, Robert and Arthur Gregor. 1 2 3 4 5. 
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1956. 

DuBois, William Pene (author-illustrator) . Lion. 
New York: The Viking Press, 1956. 

Duncan, Lois. The Littlest One in the Family. Pic- 
tures by Suzanne K. Larsen. New York: Dodd, 
Mead 8c Company, 1960. 

Duvoisin, Roger A. (author-illustrator) . A for the 
Ark. New York: Lothrop, Lee 8c Shepard Co. Inc., 
1952. 

The House of Four Seasons. New York: Loth- 
rop, Lee 8c Shepard Co. Inc., 1956 

Petunia. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 

1950. 

Two Lonely Ducks. New York: Alfred A. 

Knopf, Inc., 1955. 

Eichenberg, Fritz (author-illustrator) . Ape in a Cape. 
New York: Harcourt, Brace 8c Company, 1952. 

Dancing in the Moon. New York: Harcourt, 

Brace 8c Company, 1955. 

Elkin. Benjamin The Loudest Noise in the World. 
Illustrated by James Daugherty. New York: The 
Viking Press, 1954. 

Ets, Marie Hall (author-illustrator) . The Cow’s 
Party. New York: The Viking Press, 1958. 

Little Old Automobile. New York: The Viking 

Press, 1948. 

■ Mister Penny’s Race Horse. New York: The 

Viking Press, 1956. 

Play With Me. New York: The Viking Press, 

1955. 

Ets, Marie Hall and Aurora Labastida. Nine Days to 
Christmas. Illustrated by Marie Hall Ets. New 
York: The Viking Press, 1959. 

Falls, Charles Buckles (author-illustrator) . ABC 
Book. New York: Doubleday 8c Company, Inc., 1923. 


Fatio, Louise. Happy Lion. Illustrated by Roger 
Duvoisin. New York: Whittlesey House, 1954. 
Fisher, Aileen. Going Barefoot. Illustrated by Adri- 
enne Adams. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1960. 
Flack, Marjorie (author-illustrator) . Angus and the 
Cat. New York: Doubleday 8c Company, Inc., 1931. 

Ask Mi. Bear. New York: The Macmillan 

Company, 1932. 

New Pet. New York: Doubleday & Company, 

Inc., 1943. 

Wait for William. Illustrated by Marjorie 

Flack and Richard Holberg. Boston: Houghton 
Mifflin Company, 1935. 

Francois, Andre (author-illustrator) . Crocodile Tears. 
Universe Books, 1956. 

Franchise, pseud. (Francoise Seignobosc) . (author- 
illustrator) . The Gay ABC. New York: Charles 
Scribner’s Sons, 1939. 

Jeanne-Marie Counts Her Sheep. New York: 

Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1951. 

Jeanne-Marie in Gay Paris. New York: Charles 

Scribner’s Sons, 1956. 

Springtime for Jeanne-Marie. New York: 

Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1955. 

The Things I Like. New York: Charles 

Scribner’s Sons, 1960. 

Frasconi, Antonio (author-illustrator) . The House 
That Jack Built. New York: Harcourt, Brace 8e 
Company, 1958. 

See and Say. New York: Harcourt, Brace Sc 

Company, 1955. 

Freeman, Don (author-illustrator) . Fly High, Fly 
Low. New York: The Viking Press, 1957. 

Mop Top. New York: The Viking Press, 1955. 

Friskey, Margaret. Chicken Little Count-to-Tcn. 
Illustrated by Katherine Evans. Chicago: Childrens 
Press Inc., 1946. 

Seven Diving Ducks. Pictures by Lucia Patton. 

New York: David McKay Company, 1940. 

Gag. Wanda (author-illustrator) . The ABC Bunny. 
New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1933. 

Millions of Cats. New York: Coward-McCann, 

Inc., 1928. 

Nothing at All. New York: Coward-McCann, 

Inc., 1941. 

Gav, Zhenya (author-illustratoT) . Look! New York: 
The Viking Press, 1952. 

Goudey, Alice E. Houses from the Sea. Illustrated by 
Adrienne Adams. New York: Charles Scribner’s 
Sons, 1959. 

Gramatky, Hardie (author-illustrator) . Hercules. 
New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1940. 

Little Toot. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 

1939. 

Loopy. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1941. 

Greenaway, Kate (illustrator) . Mother Goose, or The 
Old Nursery Rhymes. New York: Frederick Wame 
& Company, Inc., n.d. 



116 - Knowing Children’s Literature 

Guilfoile, Elizabeth. Nobody Listens to Andrew. 
Illustrated by Mary Stevens. Chicago: Follett Pub- 
lishing Company, 1957. 

Hader, Berta and Elmer (authors-illustrators) . Big 
Snow. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1948. 
The Mighty Hunter. New York: The Mac- 
millan Company, 1943. 

Hahn, Hannelore. Take a Giant Step. Illustrated by 
Margot Zemach. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 
1960. 

Handforth, Thomas (author-illustrator) . Mei Li. 

New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1938. 
Janice, pseud. (Janice Brustlein) . Little Bear's Sun- 
day Breakfast. Illustrated by Mariana. New York: 
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. Inc., 1958. 

Johnson, Crockett (author-illustrator) . Harold and 
the Purple Crayon. New York: Harper & Brothers, 

1958. 

Kahl, Virginia (author-illustrator) . Away Went Wolf- 
gang. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1954. 

The Duchess Bakes a Cake. New York: Charles 

Scribner’s Sons, 1955. 

Maxie. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 

1956. 

Plum Pudding for Christmas. New York: 

Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1956. 

Kay, Helen. One Mitten Lewis. Illustrated by Kurt 
Werth. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. 
Inc., 1955. 

Kessler, Ethel and Leonard P. The Day Daddy Stayed 
At Home. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 

1959. 

Kingman, Lee. The Magic Christmas Tree. Illustrated 
by Bettina. New York: Ariel Books, 1956. 

Koch, Dorothy. I Play at the Beach. Illustrated by 
Feodor Rojankovsky. New York: Holiday House, 
1955. 

Krasilovsky, Phyllis. The Man Who Didn't Wash His 
Dishes. Illustrated by Barbara Cooney. New York: 
Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1950. 

The Very Little Girl. Illustrated by Ninon. 

New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1953. 
Krauss, Ruth. The Big World and the Little House. 
Illustrated by Marc Simont. New York: Harper & 
Brothers, 1956. 

Backward Day. Illustrated by Marc Simont. 

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1950. 

Carrot Seed. Illustrated by Crockett Johnson. 

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1945. 

Charlotte and the White Horse. Illustrated 

by Maurice Sendak. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 
1955. 

Growing Story. Illustrated by Phyllis Row- 
land. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1947. 

The Happy Day. Illustrated by Marc Simont. 

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1949. 

A Hole Is to Dig. Illustrated by Maurice 

Sendak. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1952. 

I Want to Paint My Bathroom Blue. Illus- 


trated by Maurice Sendak. New York: Harper 8c 
Brothers, 1956. 

I'll Be You and You Be Me. Illustrated by 

Maurice Sendak. New York: Harper 3c Brothers, 
1954. 

Is This You ? Illustrated by Crockett Johnson. 

New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1955. 

A Very Special House. Illustrated by Maurice 

Sendak. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 1953. 

Kunhardt, Dorothy (author-illustrator) . Pat the 
Bunny. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1940. 

The Telephone Book. New York: Simon 8c 

Schuster, Inc., 1942. 

Kuskin, Karla (author-illustrator) . James and the 
Rain. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1957. 

Lamorisse, Albert (author-illustrator) . The Red 
Balloon. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 
1957. 

Langstaff, John. Over in the Meadow. Illustrated by 
Feodor Rojankovsky. New York: Harcourt, Brace & 
Company, 1957. 

Larrick, Nancy. Color ABC. Illustrated by Rene 
Martin. New York: Platt & Munk Co.. 1959. 

Lathrop, Dorothy P. (illustrator) . Animals of the 
Bible. Accompanying text by Helen Dean Fish. 
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1937. 

Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author-illustrator) . Let Them 
Live. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1957. 

Lawson, Robert (author-illustrator) . Ben and Me. 
Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1939. 

Mr. Revere and I. Boston: Little, Brown 8c 

Company, 1953. 

Mr. Twigg’s Mistake. Boston: Little, Brown 

& Company, 1947. 

Rabbit Hill. New York: The Viking Press, 

1944. 

They Were Strong and Good. New York: The 

Viking Press, 1940. 

Leaf, Munro. The Story of Ferdinand. Illustrated by 
Robert Lawson. New York: The Viking Press, 1936. 

Wee Gillis. Illustrated by Robert Lawson. 

New York: The Viking Press, 1938. 

Lenski, Lois (author-illustrator) . Cowboy Small. New 
York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 1949. 

Little Auto. New York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 

1934. 

Little Farm. New York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 

1942. 

Little Train. New York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 

1940. 

Liang, Yen (author-illustrator) . Skyscraper. Phila- 
delphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1958. 

Lindgren, Astrid. My Swedish Cousins. Photographs 
1 by Anna Riwkin-Brick. New York: The Macmillan 
Company, 1960. 

Sia Lives on Kilimanjaro. Photographs by 

Anna Riwkin-Brick. New York: The Macmillan 
Company, 1959. 

Lines, Kathleen M. (compiler) . Lavender's Blue. 



Children Read Pictures - 117 


Pictures by Harold Jones. New York: Franklin 
Watts, Inc., 1954. 

Lionni, Leo (author-illustrator) . Little Blue and 
Little Yellow. New York: McDowell, Obolensky 
Inc., 1959. 

McCloskey, Robert (author-illustrator) . Blueberries 
for Sal. New York: The Viking Press, 1948. 

Make Way for Ducklings. New York: The 

Viking Press, 1941. 

One Morning in Maine. New York: The Vik- 
ing Press, 1952. 

Time of Wonder. New York: The Viking 

Press, 1957. 

MacDonald, Golden, pseud. (Margaret Wise Brown) . 
The Little Island. Illustrated by Leonard Weisgard. 
New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1946. 

Little Lost Lamb. Illustrated by Leonard 

Weisgard. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 
1945. 

Red Light , Green Light. Illustrated by 

Leonard Weisgard. New York: Doubleday & Com- 
pany, Inc., 1944. 

McGinley, Phyllis. All Around the Town. Illustrated 
by Helen Stone. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 
1948. 

The Horse Who Lived Upstairs. Illustrated 

by Helen Stone. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 
1944. 

Mariana, pseud. (Marian Curtis Foster) . (author- 
illustrator) . Miss Flora McFlimsey and the Baby 
New Year. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. 
Inc., 1951. 

Miss Flora McFlimsey’s Birthday. New York: 

Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. Inc., 1952. 

Miss Flora McFlimsey’s Easter Bonnet. New 

York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. Inc., 1951. 

Martin, Bill and Bernard. The Brave Little Indian. 
New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc., 1951. 

Meeks, Esther. One Is the Engine. Illustrated by Ernie 
King. Chicago: Follett Publishing Company, 1947. 

Milhous, Katherine (author-illustrator) . Appolonia’s 
Valentine. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1954. 

The Egg Tree. New York: Charles Scribner's 

Sons, 1950. 

Minarik, Else H. Little Bear. Pictures by Maurice 
Sendak. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1957. 

Moore, Lilian. My First Counting Book. Illustrated 
by Garth Williams. New York: Simon & Schuster, 
Inc., 1956. 

Munari, Bruno (author-illustrator) . Animals for 
Sale. Cleveland: World Publishing Company, 1957. 

The Birthday Present. Cleveland: World 

Publishing Company, 1959. 

Who’s There? Open the Door ! Cleveland: 

World Publishing Company, 1957. 

Newberry, Clare T. (author-illustrator) . April’s Kit- 
tens. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1940. 

Smudge. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1948. 

Norton, Mary. The Borrowers. Illustrated by Beth 


and Joe Krush. New York: Harcourt, Brace & 
Company, 1953. 

Palazzo, Tony (author-illustrator) . Charley the 
Horse. New York: The Viking Press, 1950. 

Susie the Cat. New York: The Viking Press, 

1949. 

Payne, Emmy. Katy No-Pocket. Illustrated by H. A. 
Rey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1944. 

Petersham, Maud and Miska (authors-illustrators) . 
The Box With Red Wheels. New York: The Mac- 
millan Company, 1949. 

The Christ Child. New York: Doubleday 8c 

Company, Inc., 1931. 

The Rooster Crows. New York: The Mac- 
millan Company, 1945. 

Politi, Leo (author-illustrator) . The Butterflies Come . 
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1957. 

Little Leo. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 

1951. 

Song of the Swallows. New York: Charles 

Scribner’s Sons, 1949. 

Potter, Beatrix (author-illustrator) . The Tale of 
Peter Rabbit. New York: Frederick Warne & Co., 
Inc.. 1903. 

Rackham, Arthur (illustrator) . Mother Goose. Cen- 
tury, 1913. 

Rand, Ann and Paul. I Know a Lot of Things. New 
York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1956. 

Sparkle and Spin. Illustrated by Paul Rand. 

New York: Harcourt, Brace & Co., 1957. 

Rey, Hans Augusto (author- illustrator) . Anybody at 
Home? Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1958. 

Curious George. Boston: Houghton Mifflin 

Company, 1941. 

Let’s Feed the Animals. Boston: Houghton 

Mifflin Company, n.d. 

Where’s My Baby? Boston: Houghton Mifflin 

Company, 1956. 

Rice, Inez. The March Wind. Illustrated by Vladimir 
Bobri. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. Inc., 
1957. 

Riwkin-Brick, Anna (author-illustrator) . Eva Visits 
Noriko-San. New York: The Macmillan Company, 
1957. 

Rojankovsky, Feodor (illustrator) . The Tall Book of 
Mother Goose. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 1942. 

Rowand, Phyllis (author-illustrator) . George. Boston: 
Little, Brown 8c Company, 1956. 

Schlein, Miriam. Fast Is Not a Ladybug. Illustrated 
by Leonard Kessler. New York: William R. Scott, 
Inc., 1953. 

Heavy Is a Hippopotamus. Illustrated by 

Leonard Kessler. New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 
1954. 

Seuss, Dr., pseud. (Theodor S. Geisel) . (author- 
illustrator) .And to Think that I Saw It on Mul- 
berry Street. New York: Vanguard Press, 1937. 

The Cat in the Hat. New York: Random 

House, Inc., 1957. 



118 - Knowing Children’s Literature 

Horton Hatches the Egg. New York: Van- 
guard Press. 1940. 

McElligot’s Pool . New York: Random House, 

1947. 

Shane, Ruth and Harold. The New Baby. Illustrated 
by Eloise Wilkin. New York: Simon 8c Schuster, 

1948. 

Simon, Norma. Daddy Days. Pictures by Abner 
Graboff. New York: Abelard-Schuman, Limited, 

1958. 

Skaar, Grace (author-illustrator). All About Dogs, 
Dogs, Dogs. New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 
1948. 

Nothing but Cat, Cats, Cats. New York: Wil 

liam R. Scott, Inc., 1947. 

Slobodkina, Esphyr (author-illustrator) . Caps for 
Sale. New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1947. 

Wonderful Feast. New York: Lothrop, Lee & 

Shepard Co. Inc., 1955. 

Smith, William Jay. Puptents and Pebbles. Illustrated 
by Juliet Kepes. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 

1959. 

Steiner, Charlotte. ABC. Garden City, N. Y.: Garden 
City Books, 1954. 

Tenggren, Gustaf (illustrator). The Tenggren 
Mother Goose. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 
1940. 

Tensen, Ruth M. (author-illustrator) . Come to the 
City. Chicago: The Reilly & Lee Company, 1951. 

Come to the Farm. Chicago: The Reilly 8c 

Lee Company, 1959. 

Thompson, Kay. Eloise. Drawings by Hilary Knight. 

New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1955. 

Thurber, James. Many Moons. Illustrated by Louis 
Slobodkin. New York: Harcourt, Brace 8c Company, 
1943. 

Titus, Eve. Anatole. Illustrated by Paul Galdone. 

New York: Whittlesey House, 1956. 

Tresselt, Alvin R. The Frog in the Well. Illustrated 
by Roger Duvoisin. New York: Lothrop, Lee 8c 
Shepard Co. Inc., 1958. 

Hi, Mister Robin! Illustrated by Roger Du- 

voisin. New York: Lothrop, Lee 8c Shepard Co. Inc., 
1950. 

I Saw the Sea Come In. Illustrated by Roger 

Duvoisin. New York: Lothrop, Lee 8c Shepard Co. 
Inc., 1954. 

Wake Up, City! Pictures by Roger Duvoisin. 

New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. Inc., 1959. 

Wake Up, Farm! Pictures by Roger Duvoisin 

New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. Inc., 1954. 

White Snow, Bright Snow. Illustrated by 

Roger Duvoisin. New York: Lothrop, Lee 8c 
Shepard Co. Inc., 1947. 

Tudor, Tasha (author-illustrator) . A Is for Anna- 
belle. New York: Oxford University Press, 1954. 

Edgar Allan Crow. New York: Henry Z. 

Walck, Inc., 1953. 


Linsey Woolsey. New York: Henry Z. Walck, 

Inc., 1946. 

1 Is One. New York: Oxford University Press, 

1956. 

Tudor, Tasha (illustrator) . Mother Goose. New 
York: Oxford University Press, 1944. 

Tworkov, Jack. The Camel Who Took a Walk. Illus- 
trated by Roger Duvoisin. New York: Aladdin, 
1951. 

Udry, Janice May. The Moon Jumpers. Illustrated 
by Maurice Sendak. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 
1959. 

A Tree Is Nice. Illustrated by Marc Simont. 

New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 1956. 

Ungerer, Tomi (author-illustrator) . Crictor. New 
York: Harper 8c Brothers, 1958. 

Emile. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 1960. 

Walters, George. The Steam Shovel That Wouldn’t 
Eat Dirt. Illustrated by Roger Duvoisin. New York: 
Aladdin, 1948. 

Ward, Lynd (author- illustrator) . The Biggest Bear. 
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1952. 

Watson, Nancy Dingman. What Is One? Pictures by 
Aldren A. Watson. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 
Inc., 1954. 

Weil, Lisl (author-illustrator) . I Wish, I Wish. 
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1957. 

Weisgard, Leonard (author-illustrator) . Clean Pig. 
New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1952. 

Mr. Peaceable Paints. New York: Charles 

Scribner’s Sons, 1956. 

White, E. B. Charlotte’s Web. Illustrated by Garth 
Williams, New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 1952 

Stuart Little. Illustrated by Garth Williams. 

New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 1945. 

Williams, Garth (author-illustrator) . Baby’s First 
Book. New York: Simon 8c Schuster, Inc., 1955. 

The Rabbits’ Wedding. New York: Harper 8c 

Brothers, 1958. 

Wright, Blanche Fisher (illustrator) . The Real 
Mother Goose. Skokie, 111.: Rand McNally 8c Com- 
pany, 1916. 

Wright, Dare (author-illustrator) . Holiday for Edith 
and the Bears. New York: Doubleday 8c Company, 
Inc., 1958. 

The Lonely Doll. New York: Doubleday 8c 

Company, Inc., 1957. 

Wright, Ethel B. Saturday Walk. Illustrated by Rich- 
ard Rose. New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1954. 

Yashima, Taro, pseud. (Jun Iwamatsu) . (author- 
illustrator) . Crow Boy. New York: The Viking 
Press, 1955. 

Umbrella. New York: The Viking Press, 1958. 

The Village Tree. New York: The Viking 

Press, 1953. 

Ylla, pseud. (Camilla Koffler) . (illustrator) . Animal 
Babies. Text by Arthur Gregor. New York: Harper 
& Brothers, 1959. 



Children Read Pictures - 119 


Two Little Bears. New York: Harper & 

Brothers, 1954. 

Zion, Gene. All Falling Down. Illustrated by Margaret 
Bloy Graham. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1951. 

Dear Garbage Man. Illustrated by Margaret 

Bloy Graham. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1957. 

Harry the Dirty Dog. Illustrated by Maigaret 

Bloy Graham. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1956. 

No Roses for Harry. Illustrated by Margaret 

Bloy Graham. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1958. 

The Plant Sitter. Illustrated by Margaret 

Bloy Graham. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1959. 

Zolotow, Charlotte. Big Brother. Pictures by Mary 


Chalmers. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1960. 

One Step , Two ... . Illustrated by Roger 

Duvoisin. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. 
Inc., 1955. 

Over and Over. Illustrated by Garth Williams. 

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1957. 

The Park Book. Illustrated by H. A. Rey. 

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1944. 

The Quiet Mother and the Noisy Little Boy. 

Illustrated by Kurt Werth. New York: Lothrop, 
Lee & Shepard Co. Inc., 1953. 

The Storm Book. Pictures by Margaret Bloy 

Graham. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1952. 




4 -Children Seek Information About 
the Physical World 


Victor boisterously entered the fourth grade 
classroom laden with books and paper bags. 
His classmates surrounded him to see what 
he had brought from his winter vacation trip 
to Florida. “Now just wait ’til sharing time,” 
he announced. “I’ve got a lot of stuff. Mr. 
Schuster, can I set up a display of my sea 
things?” 

Tom Schuster had anticipated this mo- 
ment, and welcomed the suntanned nine- 
year-old, “We’re glad to have you back, Vic. 


Yes, we will want to see your things. Can 
you select two or three for sharing time? 
Your display of all the things can be arranged 
on the window shelf.” 

The children discussed interesting events 
each morning, so there was time to hear Vic- 
tor’s report and see the shells, sand dollars, 
and seahorse. The children asked several 
questions, “What lived in the shells?” “What 
do sand dollars eat?” “Where do sea horses 
live?” 


USING INFORMATIONAL BOOKS 


A Case Study 

THE UNIT BEGINS 

Mr. Schuster had been watching for such a 
“lead” to stimulate a study of the sea. In Sep- 
tember, he had asked the children to com- 
plete general interest inventories which re- 
120 


vealed a high degree of interest in animal 
life. Also, several children expressed interest 
in deep-sea diving. Later, he observed Bob 
and George asking for books about subma- 
rines when they went to the school library. 
The teacher felt the children’s interest in 
space explorations might well be extended 


Children Seek Information about the Physical World - 121 

to other areas of scientific study. The school of the sea. A current event, such as a balloon 

curriculum guide suggested a study of the flight over the ocean, submarine exploration 

Americas for social studies content and the under the Arctic, or pictures of sea animals 

science guide included the topic, Changes in might have been the “take off point” as chil- 

the Earth's Surface . With these factors in dren or the teacher brought objects or ideas 

mind, Mr. Schuster had decided a group to the daily sharing period, 

study of the sea would provide an opportu- 
nity to satisfy immediate interests, to extend preplanning by the teacher 

interests, and to develop concepts in social Mr. Schuster had prepared for such a study 
studies and science. of the sea by locating and reviewing many 

He could have planned another way of materials. He made notes summarizing infor- 

beginning the study. The children could have mation and concepts in each book which 

read and discussed a section of one of the sci- would need clarification. The preparation of 

ence texts, “The Ocean.” A discussion of the summary cards helped him guide children 

fears of the early sailors and explorers who in using these informational books. Some of 

found the Americas could have led to a study his cards are reproduced below: 


Fisher, James THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE SEA 
Consultant Gwynne Vevers 
Garden City Books, 1957 

Each page has two or more small illustrations — beautiful art 
work — captions under diagrams are very helpful. 

No index or pronunciation guide. 

Section on exploring the sea is excellent — pictures of deep- 
sea current drift bottle, current detectors, core samplers are 
good. Early ships, explorers, ship disasters will help us 
relate history to our study. 

Concepts which will need explanation — cellular division, 
chromosomes, evolution. 

The last 2 sections, M Sea Challenges Man , 11 " Man Challenges 
the Sea" give information not found in other books. 

Discuss cycle of food p.30-31 with entire group. 

Difficult reading for many of this group. Good reference for 
me ! 





122 - Knowing Children’s Literature 


Hinton, Sam EXPLORING UNDER THE SEA 
111. by Rudolf Freund 
Garden City Books, 1957 

Style is interesting — child feels the author is talking with 
him not down to him. 

Wave explanation by demonstration of moving feet under a 
sheet — sheet represents water — feet make wave movements. 
Reading level — my middle group. 

Excellent pronunciation guides in the context. 

Metamorphosis very clearly explained — e.g . : 

Crabs p.27, Obelia, p.29. 

Card to suggest the reader report: 

1. Ways sea animals get food. 

2. Ways of attachment — mussels, barnacles. 

3. How kelp is useful. 

4. Camouflage in the sea. 

5. Ways of swimming in the water. 


Carson, Rachel THE SEA AROUND US 
Simon & Schuster, 1958 

Beautiful illustrations, color photographs, clear diagrams 
and charts, and prose is rich — flows in pleasing manner. 
Beginnings — relationship of fossils. 

Studying the ocean floor, p.48-62. 

Tides — effect of currents, p.136-139. 

Early navigators and charts. 

Sounds — e.g . , shrimp cackle, p.45. 

Leaves one sensing the mystery of life, p.124. 

Read many parts aloud. 

Excellent index! 


In reviewing books for the unit study Mr. 
Schuster considered vocabulary, diagrams, 
pictures, reading level, index and pronun- 
ciation guides, special interests of pupils, and 
special uses of each book. In some cases he 
wrote guide questions on a card which would 
be placed in the front of the book. The child 
who used this book was guided to write or be 
ready to tell the answers to these questions. 
For some books he prepared cards with pro- 
nunciation guides for unusual words in the 
text. 

Mr. Schuster continued to record com- 


ments about the intriguing books about the 
sea. The Illustrated Book of the Sea by Haus- 
man and Sutton was very well organized. 
Space and detail made the drawings especially 
useful and he thought the children would en- 
joy the interesting facts about unusual fish. 
This teacher felt that All About the Sea, by 
Lane, would be good for children with aver- 
age reading ability. Illustrations did not ex- 
tend text, and there was no pronunciation 
guide. The sections on the ooze of the ocean 
floor and farming the sea seemed very inter- 
esting. Mr. Schuster noted that details of life 






Children Seek Information about the Physical World - 123 


of the sea and the economics of the sea were 
included in Epstein and Williams’ The Real 
Book About the Sea . The index would be 
very helpful for classroom use. He observed 
the misconception expressed by the phrase, 
“the sun will suck up water.” Huntington’s 
Let's Go to the Seashore was listed as an ex- 
cellent book of photographs. Mr. Schuster 
made a note to use this with Lester who was 
reading at third grade level. The text clari- 
fied size relationships of the various sea crea- 
tures. He planned to call attention to the in- 
formation about the life span of the animals. 
A graph could be made to present this in- 
formation, he thought. Another book for the 
children who read below grade level was The 
True Book of Animals of the Sea and Shore. 
The double-page illustrations flow with Po- 
dendorf’s text. Animals with fins, shells, 
sharp spines and soft bodies were discussed. 
The Deep Sea by Neurath appeared to be an 
easy book, but the vocabulary was difficult. 
For example, Mr. Schuster read, “The sen - 
tinel calls the guard when danger threatens” 
and lightly marked the words for later dis- 
cussion. The blue-green pages were very at- 
tractive, but some of the blue silhouettes 
would be rather difficult for children to iden- 
tify. He also noted such phrases as “creatures 
leap clean out of the water” and “drive his 
‘sword’ clean through its side.” Seashores, 
one of the Golden Nature Guides, would be 
an excellent resource for identification. Mr. 
Schuster considered the possibility of dis- 
cussing the food-chain diagram as a basis for 
a mural. He also wrote Bruce’s name on this 
card to remind himself to recommend this 
book to a boy who would especially enjoy 
knowing the scientific names. Both the old 
and revised editions of The Sea for Sam were 
among the books this teacher reviewed. He 
found that abstract phrases such as “In the 
days of Nationalism” and “ghouls like Dan- 
te’s inferno” had been omitted in the revision 
by Wilfrid Bronson. However, the approach 
established by the original author, W. Max- 
well Reed, seemed to be of continuing inter- 
est to boys and girls. Many excellent photo- 
graphs had been added to the new edition. 


The explanation of ocean depths was brought 
up to date. The chapter on nature’s seafood 
cookbook could supplement Zim’s food-chain 
diagram. A good chapter to read aloud would 
be Bronson’s introductory chapter about the 
dolphin cow and her calf in Children of the 
Sea . Mr. Schuster regretted the incidents 
which portray stereotyped Negro characters 
in an otherwise well-written book. 

Three of the books which he reviewed 
would be especially useful in identifying and 
classifying the sea shells. Each page of Hutch- 
inson’s A Child's Book of Sea Shells pictured 
a different shell and briefly described it. Such 
words as bivalve, edible, and translucent 
would need explanation, and the pronun- 
ciation of Cephalopod, Chiton, Volutes, and 
Coquina would be needed. The Golden 
Stamp Book, Sea Shells would be helpful in 
identification. Mr. Schuster also thought 
about attaching the stamps on a world-out- 
line map to show where the shells are found. 
He thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful water- 
colors and the rhythmic text of Houses from 
the Sea. He recalled that Adrienne Adams’ 
art work in this book about shells won a 
place as runner-up for the 1960 Caldecott 
award. This would be a book to read aloud 
to the class. Much information was woven 
into the text, and the illustrations at the 
end would provide a quick guide for iden- 
tification. 

Mr. Schuster also included other, more 
general books which would relate to the study 
of the sea. He found The Gulf Stream by 
Brindze presented an excellent historical ac- 
count of the charting of the Gulf Stream. A 
felt story illustrating the water cycle could 
be prepared after reading Busy Water by 
Black. If the children made a mural, he 
would call their attention to Castle’s blue, 
green, and charcoal sketches which portray 
the restless seas. An explanation of buoyancy 
and other experiments related to water were 
found in The First Book of Water by the 
Norlings. This book also gave a clear expla- 
nation of the water cycle. Other experiments 
were found in The Magic of Water by 
Schloat. These experiments were pictured so 



124 - Knowing Childrens Literature 

clearly that Lester, who had difficulty with 
reading, could easily carry them out. The 
Real Book of Science Experiments by Leem- 
ing included several demonstrations to help 
children understand density, water pressure, 
surface tension, and movements of warmer 
water. The directions seemed clear and ma- 
terials could be obtained easily. An experi- 
ment with salt water was found in Munro 
Leaf’s Science Can Be Fun . For his own ref- 
erence Mr. Schuster included the more com- 
plex book by Buchsbaum, Animals Without 


Backbones, and Miner’s Field Book of Sea- 
shore Life . Mr. Schuster outlined his objec- 
tives and planned possible activities for the 
unit as he read these books and located re- 
lated films and filmstrips. He became increas- 
ingly interested in the study and recognized 
more possibilities for developing concepts of 
animal and plant life. The objectives in- 
cluded learning about the influence of the 
sea upon our life and development of ap- 
preciation of the contribution of explorers 
of the sea. 


DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNIT 

The following account describes the day to day development of the unit. The 
principles involved in the problem-solving approach to teaching are identified in 
the right column, while the progress of the unit is described in the column at 
the left. 


At the close of the day Victor had arranged his 
display of objects from the seashore. Mr. Schuster 
commented during the evaluation period, “We 
have enjoyed the things Victor brought today. I 
have noticed you have been asking several ques- 
tions about the sea and sea life. Perhaps you will 
want to think about these questions until to- 
morrow when we can discuss them. Do other chil- 
dren in the class have things related to the sea 
which you would like to share? 

(John, Linda, and Marvin mention shells and 
pictures they will bring.) 

He continued, “We are completing our com- 
mittee reports about resources in our state. A 
study of the sea may be a good group study to 
plan next, for I realize you are very interested in 
sea life.” 

After the children were dismissed Mr. Schuster 
placed a few books under a bulletin board cap- 
tioned, “What Do You Want to Know About the 
Sea?” A note pad was attached to the bulletin 
board which also displayed a picture of a sea- 
scape and illustrations of sea life. The children 
were directed to write their questions on a piece 
of the note paper and place it in the suggestion 
box attached to the bulletin board. The questions 
would be organized two or three days later. 

During the next two days pictures were brought, 
additional shells were displayed, and books about 
the sea were examined by some children and read 
in whole or part by others during the library pe- 
riod. Continued interest in the sea was expressed 
in the sharing period. 


Daily evaluation and planning periods help 
children develop skills in group work, accept 
change, and assure continuity and flexibility. 


One study is not “dropped” as interest in an- 
other area develops. 


Books are used to stimulate further interest. 
This plan provides for identifying and exploring 
new interests. 


A library period for self-selective reading pro- 
vides time for satisfaction of interests. 



Children Seek Information about the Physical World - 125 



The children used books to identify shells. Burtsfield School, West Lafayette, Indiana. 


(Meanwhile the study of resources of the state 
continued. Committees presented their reports 
about soil, forests, coal, oil, rivers, and lakes, in- 
dustries, and people of the state. The large pic- 
ture map of the state was completed.) 

After two days the teacher removed the ques- 
tion slips from the box and wrote them on a 
large chart. In planning time he said, “There are 
many things we want to know about the sea. 
What a long list! Several questions are about ani- 
mal life. Let’s mark all of these with an A.” The 
children identified questions about animals. 

“I wonder if there are some other things we 
want to know about animals in the sea,” he con- 
tinued. 

The children soon had this list of questions: 

What is a sand dollar? 

How do starfishes eat? 

What fish are dangerous? 

Will sharks eat people? 

What fish are good to eat? 

Why do squids shoot out ink? 

How big is a whale? 


To capitalize on current interest, plans for a 
new study may be initiated as another class study 
is completed. 

The teacher guides the process of identifying 
problems. 


Children's questions tend to be specific. 


126 - Knowing Children* s Literature 

“Can you find another grouping of questions?" 
asked Mr. Schuster. 

Amelia noted, “There are quite a few questions 
about the size of the sea — like how high are waves 
and how deep is the deepest place?” 

“Which ocean is the biggest?” asked Chuck. 

The teacher continued to guide the organiza- 
tion of the study. Five main areas were listed: 

Life In the Sea 
Animals 
Plants 

The Ocean 
Size 
Depth 
Waves 
Tides 
Currents 

How so much water got in it 

Why it is salty 

What the bottom is like 

How Man uses the Sea 
Plants Man Uses 
Animals Man Uses 
Others 

How Man Explores the Sea 
Tools and Instruments 

Boats, Navigation, Explorers 
How do steel boats float? 

Submarines 

How do they know where to go? 

Who were the first sailors? 

The next day Mr. Schuster read a part of The 
Sea Around Us while the children rested after an 
active play period. More questions were added to 
the chart. A news magazine article about dolphins 
was brought by one child. Mr. Schuster then read 
the first chapter of Children of The Sea. 

While they were completing their study of state 
resources the children continued to evidence in- 
terest in the sea. Some of them had to be re- 
minded of committee obligations for the study in 
progress, for they were ready to launch an attack 
upon the problems of exploring the sea. 

The Folkways record, Sounds Of The Sea, was 
played on the day following completion of the 
previous unit. The strange whistles, grunts, and 
sighs from the ocean depths motivated new inter- 
ests, and they were ready to plan an organized 
study. Mr. Schuster now had the books he could 
locate in* the school library, and had purchased 
two new volumes because he, too, was deeply in- 
terested in learning more about the ocean. 

Each child took a book or two to his desk. 
“Let’s see what information we can find. What 
parts of the book will you use to see if there is 
information?” he asked. 

The children discovered some of the books did 
not have a table of contents or index. “Does your 


The teacher does not have to be an “encyclo- 
pedia of information.” His attitude of “Search” 
and interest in seeking information is contagious. 


Children need guidance in organizing questions 
for study. 


The teacher stimulates interest and guides dis- 
cussion as he reads to children. Current reading 
material from newspapers and magazines is in- 
cluded in the literature program. 


Recordings can build meanings and develop 
interest in further reading. 


The teacher guides development of skill in 
using informational books. 

Specific techniques for using references are 
taught in relation to need. 



Children Seek Information about the Physical World - 127 


book tell about oyster fanning? On what page 
will the information begin? How many pages tell 
about it?” 

“We can learn much from pictures in our 
books,” the teacher remarked. “How can you tell 
the size of animals or fish as you look at illus- 
trations?” 

“You can read to see if it tells,” answered Don. 

Victor added, “Sometimes it says it’s magnified 
so many times, so maybe it's only a tiny speck, 
really.” 

“These are good clues,” replied Mr. Schuster. 
“You can also compare the plant or animal with 
the picture of a man or a boat or object you 
know. As you look at these books for informa- 
tion, look at the pictures to learn about size, 
shape, and other interesting facts. 

“I have placed cards in some of the books to 
help you pronounce words. You'll also find some 
clue cards with questions to guide your reading. 
You will have to skim some books to find the in- 
formation you seek. 

“Tomorrow, groups will begin meeting to plan 
ways of working. Write your name and the big 
topic you are most interested in studying. Also 
write your second choice on the slip of paper.” 

The names of the children in each work group 
were posted the following day, and two commit- 
tees met while the other children carried on indi- 
vidual activities in improving language skills, 
spelling, and arithmetic. Some of the children 
took books to their committee meeting. Here pic- 
tures were shown or the table of contents or 
index was used to see if the information needed 
was available. 

“We’d better get all the encyclopedias,” said 
one chairman. An enthusiastic member asked Mr. 
Schuster if he could go to another classroom to 
borrow their encyclopedias. “How could you de- 
cide which volumes you would need?” he asked 
the group as he drew up a chair and joined their 
circle. 

“Well, I guess we could list all the things we 
want to look up,” the chairman answered. 

“What words might be guide words?” asked 
the teacher. 

The children listed sea, ocean, tide, waves, and 
currents as possible topics. Then a committee 
member was dispatched to bring encyclopedia 
volumes. This group had decided to begin with 
encyclopedias and then read other books. 

After lunch the three groups met and planned 
ways of working while the other children con- 
tinued individual work. Mr. Schuster met with 
the group interested in ways of exploring the sea 
because he knew there were few resources for this 
topic. In this group were three children whose 
reading scores were above ninth-grade norms and 
two who were reading at third-grade level. “Since 


Children need guidance in interpreting pic- 
torial material. 


The importance of books which meet criteria 
of pictorial accuracy is recognized in this incident. 


The teacher gives guides for pronouncing words 
on cards placed in each book. Words are divided 
into syllables and diacritical marks are used to 
facilitate pronunciation. Guide questions direct 
the child to look for details or important ideas. 

Topics are chosen according to individual in- 
terest, but the teacher’s plan makes it possible for 
him to arrange balanced groups who will work 
well together. 

To avoid the confusion of several groups meet- 
ing at one time, begin group work by planning 
other activities with most of the class. 


The teacher remains alert to group problems 
and “steps in” when needed. 


Interest groups may include children of varying 
achievement levels. The teacher plans with the 
group so each member can make a worthwhile 
contribution. 



128 - Knowing Children's Literature 

there are few books, how can you share informa- 
tion?** he asked. “We can take turns reading 
aloud from the books we do have,** one child sug- 
gested. “I can write my uncle who was on a sub- 
marine,’’ volunteered another. “I'll go to the pub- 
lic library and find out more about the Piccards 
and Beebe,’’ planned Tom, who might have been 
labeled a “gifted child.'* 

“In library time I’ll give you some special help,’’ 
Mr. Schuster said to Mike who struggled so vali- 
antly to improve his reading. He . planned to 
read with Mike and Sonny from the book The 
Wonderful World of The Sea. They could dic- 
tate to him summary statements about the illus- 
trations and content. Their report could be 
copied and illustrated. (In their reading skills 
period, Mr. Schuster would use The True Book 
Of Animals Of The Sea.) 

Encyclopedias, texts, trade books, National 
Geographic magazines, and current adult maga- 
zines were used in the ensuing search for infor- 
mation. Films and filmstrips helped build a back- 
ground of meaning for interpreting text and pic- 
tures. Reading created new interests; topics such 
as birds of the sea, changing seasons and the sea, 
were added. 

Mr. Schuster read some sea poems. Coatsworth’s 
“A Horse Would Tell,” Masefield's “Sea-Fever,” 
and “The Mermaids” and “Echoes” by Walter 
de La Mare were read to the children. Several 
children looked for other poems and brought 
them to share with the group. 

After listening to the recording of Debussy’s La 
Mer the children wrote their own poems about 
the sea. 

Information was interpreted through a mural 
of the sea, a time line illustrating explorations, a 
relief map of the deeps and troughs of the ocean 
bottom, and through written reports. Shell collec- 
tions were identified. The children developed a 
series of dramatic scenes in which explorers of the 
past and present described the sea. 


The children who have difficulty in reading 
need special help in order that they may feel part 
of the group by making a valuable contribution. 
Books on their reading level should be provided. 


A wide variety of materials is used in locating 
information. 


Poetry can become a significant part of the ex- 
perience unit. 


Children learn as they interpret information 
creatively. 


Informational books became an essential, integral part of this search for knowl- 
edge about the sea. If these children had read only the few pages of the science 
textbook, or the relatively brief descriptions of exploration in the social studies 
book, their understandings would have been limited, appreciations circumscribed, 
and interests suppressed. 


Criteria for Informational Books 

In selecting books to extend children's con- 
cepts and provide information to satisfy their 
hunger for facts, the teacher evaluates the 
varied offerings according to established cri- 


teria. In selecting informational books the 
following criteria are considered: 

ACCURACY AND AUTHENTICITY 

In our society, authors are held in high 
esteem; that anyone should write a book 



Children Seek Information about the Physical World - 


often seems qualification enough for his rec- 
ommendation as an accurate informant. Al- 
though it is difficult for the classroom teacher 
to determine accuracy, the copyright date is 
a good clue for recency of information. The 
teacher can often ascertain the background of 
the author. Is he chairman of a geology de- 
partment, curator of a museum, an authority 
in his own field? Answers to such questions 
can help determine authenticity. By compar- 
ing several books in a special area, the teacher 
can note discrepancies. He should alert the 
children to these discrepancies and refer to 
encyclopedias and other adult references for 
clarification. Children who are eagerly seek- 
ing information will compare books with 
first-hand experience. For example, Harold, 
a third grader, had been reading many books 
about fire engines. He questioned the con- 
tent of one of the books, noting that some 
information conflicted with what was given 
in another book. Here is the letter he wrote 
to the author: 

G. P. Putnam’s Sons 
210 Madison Ave. 

New York, New York 

Dear Miss Buchheimer: 

I’m in the third grade. In two days I w T ill be 
exactly nine years old. 

I’m interested in fire equipment. I have lots of 
toy fire equipment and several interesting books 
about fire engines. 

I live in a small town just about seven blocks 
from the fire station. For awhile I went to the 
station once or twice a day to see the trucks. One 
day I went four times. That day the alarm rang 
twenty times. It was fun at the station because I 
got to help the firemen and I also had a chance 
to talk with some of them. I had a thirteen-year- 
old friend that went with me. I've been reading 
your book at school called Let’s Take a Trip to 
the Firehouse. Now what I’d like to know is why 
you call the aerial truck and the hook-and-ladder 
truck the same thing. I have another book called 
The Big Book of Real Fire Engines by George I. 
Zaffo. According to this book an aerial truck and 
a hook-and-ladder truck (tractor-type aerial truck) 
are not the same thing. The aerial truck, I think, 
is similar to the hook-and-ladder truck, but it 
turns curves easier and goes through alleys easier. 
It has to go to a fire with a pumper because it 


129 

does not carry a hose. It just has four wheels. The 
hook-and-ladder truck (tractor-type aerial truck) 
has six wheels. It is bigger than the aerial truck 
and takes two drivers — one in front and one in 
back. It is the biggest truck in the fire department 
and goes out only on big fire alarms. 

I have enjoyed your book, Let’s Take a Trip to 
the Firehouse. 

I would appreciate knowing why you write 
about the aerial truck and the hook-and-ladder 
truck as if they were the same thing. 

Sincerely yours, 

Harold * 

While evaluating informational books the 
teacher should be aware of such phrases as 
“scientists believe," “another theory,” and “it 
is possible.” Children should understand the 
difference between fact and theory. Stereo- 
types should be avoided. 

Context, photographs, and illustrations 
should help children gain meaningful con- 
cepts of size. Does the reader realize he is 
looking at an illustration of a diatom which 
has been magnified many times? Is there 
some guide to help him visualize the im- 
mensity of an iceberg with its larger part 
hidden beneath the surface of the water? 

When considering the accuracy of an in- 
formational book, the teacher must keep in 
mind the purposes of the reader. These will 
vary, of course, but the child reader is inter- 
ested in specific facts. Children want books 
about the sun, whales, volcanoes, or snakes, 
instead of more general books about the uni- 
verse, mammals, or earth's changes. The facts 
included should be accurate, but unnecessary 
details omitted. Relationships should be 
made clear, but ambiguous generalities 
avoided. 

“Mother nature” explanations are not in- 
cluded in the accurate informational book. 
Precursors of modern informational books 
often described animal life by endowing the 
animals with human qualities. This anthro- 
pomorphism has no place in the good infor- 
mational book. 

1 Esther Schatz, et at., Exploring Independent Read- 
ing in the Primary Grades. Study of Independent 
Reading. Bulletin No. 2. Columbus, Ohio: College of 
Education, The Ohio State University, 1960. p. 66. 




Books contribute to the thrill of discovering specific facts. 


Recent informational books are realistic. 
In McClung's Sphinx, for example, three of 
the caterpillars die — one killed by a gardener, 
one eaten by a bird, one eaten from the in- 
side by grubs hatched from wasp eggs. Life 
cycles, plant-animal relationships, the con- 
cepts of a changing universe, are simply pre- 
sented through such realistic facts. 

CONTENT AND STYLE 

Early informational books were often writ- 
ten as dialogues between erudite tutors, rel- 
atives, or friends and precocious young prigs. 
Information was dispensed as the two walked 
in the garden or as the unsuspecting child 
visited his uncle’s farm. Good informational 
books are written because children honestly 


seek knowledge about the physical and so- 
cial world in which they live. The facts are 
interesting and exciting. Children do not feel 
the author is “writing down” to them. New 
words are explained in context and illustra- 
tion. In Exploring Under the Sea, Hinton 
explains the meaning of Dinoflagellates, mi- 
croscopic animals in the sea: 

The word itself is pronounced din-oh-FLADGE- 
-e-lates, the “dino” part comes from a Greek word 
meaning spinning top, and the “flagellate” part 
means a whip. Many of these little things are top- 
shaped, and all of them have a long whiplike 
structure to help them swim. 2 

2 Sam Hinton, Exploring Under the Sea . Garden 
City, N. Y.: Garden City Books, 1957. p. 19. 



Children Seek Information about the Physical World - 131 



Compare the information presented in a photograph with that in a diagram of a starfish. 
Photograph from Let's Go to the Seashore by Harriet Huntington. Doubleday, 1941. 
Diagram, “Inside a Starfish,” from What's Inside of Animals by Herbert Zim. Illustrated 
by Hersrhel Wartik. Morrow, 1953. 

Such clearly presented informational books 
help the child read independently. 

Good informational books are not dry and 
dull. Descriptive language stirs the imagina- 
tion and stimulates re-creation of sensory ex- 
perience. Rachel Carson’s description of 
shrimp cackle is an example. “One of the 
most extraordinarily wide-spread sounds of 
the undersea is the crackling, sizzling noise, 
like dry twigs burning or fat frying, heard 
near beds of the snapping shrimp .” 3 The 
strange is related to the familiar, in order 
that meanings become clear. 

Good informational books assume that the 
child can comprehend information and some 
significant relationships in biology, geology, 
physics, astronomy, geography, history, so- 
ciology, anthropology, and the arts. The au- 
thors of such well-written books lead children 
to realize there is much more to learn. James 

’Rachel Carson, The Sea Atound Us. Special edi- 
tion for Young Readers adapted by Anne Terry 
White. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1958. p. 45. 


Fisher s question in The Wonderful World 
of the Sea may stimulate future scientists: 

Who knows where these new and daring ex- 
plorations will end? Someone already born may 
well see the world’s greatest ocean depths, and 
bring back photographs of creatures unknown to 
science. . . . But we shall never learn the whole of 
the story of the sea's stormy surface or probe the 
last secret of the silent depths. 4 

The well-written informational book wid- 
ens the child's vision and opens new vistas 
of beauty and mystery. As Rachel Carson de- 
scribes the spawning of the grunion at the 
time of the highest tides, text and pictures 
create the scene, “Now on these waves of the 
ebbing tide the fish begin to come in. Their 
bodies shimmer in the light of the moon as 
they are borne up the beach on the crest of 
a wave.” The author continues and points 
out one mystery of life. “This strange, perfect 

4 James Fisher, The Wonderful World of the Sea. 
Garden City, N. Y.: Garden City Books, 1957. p. 68. 



132 - Knowing Children's Literature 

link with the tides is something to fill us with 
wonder/' 5 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

Illustrations should blend with the text. 
They should be accurate, large enough to 
show detail, spaced so the reader does not 
feel confused, and should seem to flow with 
the text. Diagrams should be clearly ex- 
plained. Photographs should illustrate one or 
two points instead of being general pictures. 
There should be a unity of picture and text 
without clutter. In recent years excellent in- 
formational books which are both artistically 
beautiful and accurate have been published. 
For example, Ravielli’s sketches of the body 
in Wonders of the Human Body overlay text 
in a satisfying design. 

ORGANIZATION 

The child who seeks specific information 
needs to develop skill in using the index and 
table of contents. Some well-written infor- 
mation books fail to include these helps; in 
others it is difficult to locate page numbers. 
Section and paragraph headings enable stu- 
dents to find information more easily. The 
book should be organized so that the reader 
can find and select the information he needs. 

WIDE RANGE OF APPEAL 

Although the vocabulary and content may 
be planned for younger or older children, in- 
formational books should be written and de- 
signed for readers with specific interests . A 
good reader in sixth grade may quickly read 
Podendorf’s The True Book of Animals of 
the Sea and Shore, but he may get just the 
information he is seeking about barnacles. 
The lad struggling with third-grade reading 
skills can turn to the same book because it 
is not a “baby book." Although the vocabu- 
lary may be beyond his reading level, this 
same child may gain information from the 
pictures in The Illustrated Book of the Sea 
by Hausman and Sutton. Parents and teach- 
ers can extend their own knowledge through 
informative books for children. The well- 

8 Carson, op. cit., p. 124. 


written informational book holds the interest 
of the reader and leads him on in the quest 
for broader understanding. 

OUTLINE OF CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING 
CHILDREN'S INFORMATIONAL BOOKS 

In summary, the teacher or librarian will 
consider the following list of questions in se- 
lecting informational books for children: 

Accuracy and authenticity 

• Is the author well qualified in this field? 

• What is the date of publication? 

• Are facts and theories clearly 

distinguished? 

• Do text and illustration avoid 

stereotypes? 

• Do the illustrations contribute to 

meaningful concepts of size? 

• Is anthropomorphism avoided? 

• Is the book realistic? 

Content and style 

• Are specific facts given? 

• Does the author avoid “talking down"? 

• Are new words explained in text and 

illustration? 

• Is the author's style interesting? 

• Does the book encourage further 

curiosity? 

Illustrations 

• Do illustrations clarify and extend the 

text? 

• Are the illustrations pleasingly spaced? 

• Are diagrams clearly explained? 

Organization 

• Does the book include a table of contents 

and index? 

• Does it have a pronunciation guide? 

• Is information easily located? 

Wide range of appeal 

• Will the book be of interest to several 

age levels? 

• What is the reading level? 

• Is this a book of special information or 

generalized knowledge? 



Children Seek Information about the Physical World - 133 


TYPES OF SCIENCE BOOKS 

Modern elementary-school science programs 
provide for a balance of physical and natural 
science based upon experience and problem 
solving. Children eagerly seek information 
about their physical world. They want to 
discover principles by manipulating mate- 
rials and by testing their hunches. Books can 
stimulate the quest for knowledge, provide 
answers, and help children develop skill in 
using the scientific method. Science books 
constitute a major portion of the recent tide 
of books published for children. 

Experiment Books 

To many children, the word science is syn- 
onymous with experiment. Experiments to 
satisfy individual interests and to help chil- 
dren answer problems in broad unit studies 
may be found in four types of experiment 
books. 

The teacher should evaluate experiment 
books by asking several questions. Could a 
child follow the directions easily? Do dia- 
grams and pictures assist in the explanation? 
Are the materials suggested for the experi- 
ments readily accessible? What safety pre- 
cautions are included? Can the child derive 
the generalization or principle demonstrated? 
Do the procedures for the experiments and 
author’s style of writing encourage critical 
thinking? 11 the answer is given too soon, if 
the reader is not encouraged to observe de- 
tails and to summarize his findings, the 
science experiment book becomes a mere 
cookbook. 

GENERAL EXPERIMENT BOOKS 

One type includes several experiments on 
varied topics. Ilia Podendorf includes ex- 
periments to illustrate a number of prin- 
ciples in The True Book series, Science £x- 
periments and More Science Experiments. In 
More Science Experiments simple demonstra- 
tions help young children understand prin- 


ciples of light, work, inertia, and water. In 
The First Book of Science Experiments Wy- 
ler gives very clear directions for the middle- 
grade reader. The actual photographs in Fun 
with Science by the Freemans clearly show 
the young scientist what materials to use. 
The photograph of a stream of water being 
attracted to an electrically charged comb is 
an excellent example of this technique. 

In Science Can Be Fun a number of experi- 
ments are mingled with generalizations about 
the many forces on the earth. Munro Leaf's 
cartoons in this book are often confusing for 
children in primary grades. Another approach 
has been utilized by Schwartz in It's Fun to 
Know Why. The questions and conversa- 
tional style make the reader feel secure about 
carrying out the experiments. Children are 
guided to observe accurately through read- 
ing directions such as the following for an 
experiment with bread dough: 

BREAD WITHOUT YEAST 

Prepare another batch of dough in the same 
way, but this time do not put any yeast into the 
lukewarm water. Cover both dishes with a clean 
cloth. Look at them every fifteen minutes. What 
is happening? Which one is rising? Do you see 
hundreds of tiny bubbles in one of your doughs ? 6 

Applying his experience in television as 
Mr. Wizard, Don Herbert combines photo- 
graphs, clear directions, and concise state- 
ments of the science principle being demon- 
strated in Mr. Wizard's Science Secrets. Un- 
der a similar title the idea of trickery, gad- 
getry, and magic is overemphasized in Thay- 
er’s Mr. Wizard's Junior Science Show. Chil- 
dren may question the unrealistic characters 
who say, “Gee Whillikers" and who “shriek 
with glee’’ or “laugh gleefully" while absorb- 
ing knowledge as in the old didactic conver- 
sations. This little book from the grocery 
store rack shows some experiments, but leaves 

“Julius Schwartz, It's Fun to Know Why. New 
York: Whittlesey House, 1952. p. 91. 



134 - Knowing Children's Literature 

much to be desired in an effective science 
book. “How to Float Steel on Water/' “The 
Strange Silver Egg Experiment," and “How 
To Show Why the Sky Looks Blue," exem- 
plify the intriguing titles of experiments in 
The Real Book of Science Experiments by 
Leeming. Although these titles suggest magic, 
the author thoroughly explains the science 
principle demonstrated. 

More difficult experiments demonstrating 
complex principles are included in Lynde’s 
Science Experiences With Home Equipment . 
Although designed primarily for teachers, 
the UNESCO book, 700 Science Experiments 
could be used by the superior students in ele- 
mentary schools. 

EXPERIMENTS RELATED TO ONE SUBJECT 

A second type of experiment book presents 
experiments keyed to one subject. Now Try 
This by the Schneiders, is a notable example 
of a book which guides the child to discover 
for himself the basic principles related to 
friction, levers, inclined planes, and wheels. 
Diagrams help the child as he follows the 
pattern for each experiment: “Let’s Find 
Out" (purpose of the experiment) , “Try 
This” (procedure) , “You Will Find" (obser- 
vation of result) , “Now You Know” (conclu- 
sion) , and “You Found Out" (principle) . 
As the child reads and carries out these ac- 
tivities, he is developing skill in using the 
scientific method. See for Yourself by Nancy 
Larrick is an easy book of experiments about 
air and water. The principles illustrated here 
are basic in understanding weather. Since the 
title does not really tell that the book is about 
this specific topic, we are reminded again of 
the necessity for the teacher to read widely 
so she can direct children to the “right book 
at the right time." The teacher might wish 
the author had included pronunciation 
guides for such words as audible, oscilloscope, 
and diaphragm, but the suggested demon- 
strations of sound vibrations and sound 
travels are clearly explained by Kettelkamp 
in The Magic of Sound. Another book about 
sound, Timmy and the Tin Can Telephone 
by Branley and Vaughn, describes the sound 


experiments one boy carried out with his 
father's help. Conversation does not get in 
the way of science, and the illustrations 
would make it possible for a child to do the 
experiments without reading. 

Books about plants and animals also in- 
clude experiments. Selsam suggests many 
demonstrations to help children understand 
plant growth in Play with Seeds and Play 
with Vines. In Earthworms, Hogner tells boys 
and girls how to set up an experiment to see 
earthworms make humus in sandy or clay 
soil in a mason jar. How fascinating it would 
be to grow earthworms as suggested in this 
well-written bookl 

A third type of experiment book suggests 
activities with special instruments. Fun with 
Your Microscope by Yates, Experiments with 
a Microscope by Beeler and Branley, Through 
the Magnifying Glass by Schwartz, and 
Andy's Wonderful Telescope by Schloat 
guide older boys and girls in using these 
tools of science. The Schneiders’ Science 
Fun with Milk Cartons helps them under- 
stand basic principles through construction. 

This text can include only a few examples 

Uncluttered diagrams should characterize factual 
books for young children. From The True Book of 
Your Body and You by Alice Hinshaw. Pictures by 
Frances Eckert. Childrens Press, 1959. 

You hove a 
building of 
BONES, a 
SKELETON. 

Your bones 
are the firm 
frame upon 
which the 
rest of you 
is built. 





Children Seek Information about the Physical World - 135 



The unknown is related to the known through com- 
parative illustration. From Wonders of the Human 
Body by Anthony Ravielli. Viking, 1954. © 1954 
Anthony Ravielli. 

of the many science books which present ex- 
periments or activities to help children un- 
derstand science principles. The teacher will 
find a card file of experiments very useful. 
By making a separate card for each experi- 
ment and noting the reference, he will have 
an excellent source for quickly directing chil- 
dren to books which will contain suggestions 
for experiments related to one topic. Chil- 
dren should be encouraged to add cards to 
the file as they use science books. 

Man 

Boys and girls are interested in their own 
bodies — how they function and their various 
parts. As the child explores the physical 
world around him he continues to seek in- 
formation about man as a physical being. 
Young children will enjoy The True Book 


of Your Body and You . Hinshaw does not 
present too much detail, yet the diagrams 
of parts of the body are very clear. Playing 
doctor with a goat as a patient is one ex- 
ample of Eckart’s delightful illustrations of 
the active children in this book. Several of 
the books about man point out the unique- 
ness of human personality. Hinshaw ex- 
presses this theme: 

But you have something that makes you special 
and makes you different from all other living 
things. 

You have a kind of spark within you — your 
spirit. You cannot see it or touch it. It has no 
shape. But it is a glowing part of you. 

It is this spirit that lets you see things you can- 
not see with your eyes and understand things you 
cannot understand with your brain. It is what 
makes you different. It is what makes you forever 

YOU. 7 

Zim has answered the questions of many 
children in his book. What's Inside of Me? 
The usual format of this series is followed: 
simple text appears on the page at the left 
of an illustration; more difficult vocabulary 
is used to present further information on the 
following pages. Color is used very well in 
the illustrations of parts of the body. The 
Schneiders provide many experiments which 
will help the middle-grade child understand 
the functioning of parts of the body. The 
conversational style of their book. How Your 
Body Works, makes it especially readable. All 
About the Human Body by Glemser is easier 
to read than many in the All About Series. 
Space is used wisely to enhance the excellent 
diagrams by Traugott. However, children 
will need help in understanding relative sizes 
of body parts. For example, the child needs 
to refer to a previous illustration to under- 
stand the relative size of the cochlea in the 
inner ear. A pronunciation guide is also 
needed. This book presents a good explana- 
tion of reproduction. Wilson's The Human 
Body, What It Is and How It Works is pro- 
fusely illustrated with cross sections and dia- 
grams in bright colors. There is a danger 

7 Alice Hinshaw, The True Book of Your Body and 
You. Chicago: Childrens Press, Inc., 1959. p. 46-47. 



136 - Knowing Children's Literature 

that the cross sectional diagrams will not be 
clear or that the main point will be lost in 
colorful clutter. The fold-out pages showing 
the various body systems are very good. Ravi- 
elli's book, Wonders of the Human Body, 
has become a classic in the field. There is 
much detailed information about bones, 
joints, muscles, and the digestive system. The 
illustration shown on page 135 represents fine 
art work in a science book. The similes in 
text and diagram create interest as well as 
understanding: spine like a string of spools, 
ribs like a bird cage, thigh bone like a walk- 
ing stick. Ravielli also suggests the unique- 
ness of human personality: 

Because we love and want to be loved 
. . and have pity 
. . and know why 
. . and dream 

. . and have ideals and faith. 

These gifts of the spirit set man above all other 
creatures. 8 

Several books give information about one 
specific part of the body. Your Wonderful 
Teeth by Schloat is an outstanding book of 
photographs which show the development 
of teeth in two boys. The photographs of the 
five-year-old at the dentist's office help the 
young child understand what will happen 
when his teeth are examined. An even more 
valuable part of the book is the series of pic- 
tures showing what the orthodontist does for 
the eleven-year-old. The pictures clearly show 
how the wires and bands are installed and 
how they straighten the teeth. Perhaps the 
realism of discomfort and tension experi- 
enced with this process should also be in- 
cluded. Our Wonderful Eyes by Perry is an 
excellent book in which a direct, conversa- 
tional style is used effectively. Many experi- 
ments are suggested to develop understand- 
ing of light and vision. There are fascinat- 
ing facts about the process of vision and what 
animals see. A valuable chapter about blind- 
ness, eye disease, and eye banks includes sug- 
gestions for helping blind people. Two of 
Zim's books, Your Heart and How It Works 

“Anthony Ravielli, Wonders of the Human Body . 
New York: The Viking Press, 1954. p. 122-124. 


and Your Food and You give information in 
an interesting way. In the first book the au- 
thor traces the development of the heart in 
the earthworm, fish, and frog. The diagrams 
are large, well spaced, and easy to under- 
stand. The second book is designed for up- 
per-grade students who are beginning to un- 
derstand chemistry. In Lifeline: The Story 
of Your Circulatory System Leo Schneider 
includes Harvey's early discoveries about the 
blood stream. This author also suggests a 
few experiments. (Unfortunately the pages 
appear very crowded — there is no space for 
the eye to rest.) These books provide the 
type of specific information children seek. 

The process of birth and growth is impor- 
tant to all ages, but peaks of interest in this 
topic are related to physical development. 
Sex education comes through family life, the 
mass media of our culture, and through 
books which give specific information. A very 
matter-of-fact explanation of reproduction is 
given by Strain in Being Born. The entire 
book emphasizes naturalness of processes. 
The photographs are illustrative, but often 
seem blurred. The question and answer sec- 
tions lead easily to further discussion. The 
Wonderful Story of How You Were Born 
and The Wonderful Story of You are very 
well-written books by the Gruenbergs. The 
latter book is printed on fine paper, illus- 
trated beautifully by Lee Ames, and provides 
the information and setting for development 
of sound concepts about birth, growth, and 
maturity. 

The First Book of Microbes by Lewis and 
Wonder World of Microbes by Grant would 
answer many questions about disease. The 
First Book of Microbes includes pronuncia- 
tion keys, such as MY-CRO-OR-GAN-ISMS, 
in parenthesis within the text. The diagrams 
do not indicate the degree of magnification. 
The theme of Grant's book is expressed in a 
quotation of Pasteur, “Chance only favors 
the mind that is prepared." In her account 
of the discoveries of ways to control microbes, 
the author emphasizes the way one discovery 
is built upon previous knowledge. Teachers 
could read aloud the exciting story of the 



Children Seek 

discovery of penicillin. The use of controls 
in experimentation is encouraged in the sug- 
gestions for readers. The gay title, Have a 
Happy Measle, a Merry Mumps, and a 
Cheery Chickenpox expresses the theme of 
this book by Bendick. Information about 
how the child will look and feel when he has 
one of these diseases is included with activi- 
ties which should be avoided. The nonsense in 
the stories which are included between the 
informative sections will delight seven- to 
nine-year-olds. Older children who are be- 
ginning to develop career interests will en- 
joy Doctors and What They Do by Coy and 
The Wonderful World of Medicine by Cal- 
der. The latter book presents an interesting 
history of medical discoveries. Also, the sec- 
tion on world health is outstanding. In many 
cases children will read only parts of these 
books, but they will return to them as in- 
terest develops. 

Animals 

Informational books about mammals, fish, 
reptiles, amphibians, birds, and insects give 
children new interests and present facts to 

Darling gives detailed information through text and 
accurate drawings. From Kangaroos and Other Ani- 
mals with Pockets by Louis Darling. Morrow, 1958. 





Information about the Physical World - 137 

satisfy their curiosity. Several authors have 
used the technique of describing events in 
one year in an animal's life or have traced 
the development of that animal through his 
life time. These factual books may give a 
name to the animal, but human emotions 
or the ability to talk have not been ascribed 
to the creature. McClung has used this style 
in Sphinx, The Story of a Caterpillar . Sphinx, 
the caterpillar, eats tomato leaves, changes to 
a pupa beneath the ground, and emerges as 
a sphinx moth in the eternal mystery of meta- 
morphosis, but he is never given human char- 
acteristics in this account of his habits. The 
Harrises also use this style effectively in Lit - 
tie Red Newt . Another writer who describes 
the life of one particular animal is Henry 
Kane. Books in his series, such as Tale of the 
Promethea Moth, lack the action and de- 
tailed illustrations children find enjoyable. 

Two books about kangaroos illustrate the 
problem the teacher faces in selecting infor- 
mational books. Young Kangaroo by Mar- 
garet Wise Brown describes the first year of 
a kangaroo’s life. The authentic line draw- 
ings by Symeon Shimin communicate the 

Shimin’s drawings help the child understand the life 
struggle of one kangaroo. From Young Kangaroo by 
Margaret Wise Brown. Illustrated by Symeon Sbimin. 
W. R. Scott, 1955. 



138 - Knowing Children's Literature 

curiosity, the loneliness, and fear of the lit- 
tle animal on the vast Australian prairie. 
The rich imagery of prose adds to the facts 
which are part of the story. There is an ex- 
citing chase by wild dogs, but the mother 
saves her baby and herself. Security comes 
as the reader looks at the peaceful mother 
and senses her continued care. 

Near him his mother's heart was beating slowly 
— thump, thump. He was home. He was with his 
mother and his little wild heartbeats came more 
slowly. Behind closed eyes, sleep came to him 
again — only this time a long warm sleep, full of 
tender grasses and little kangaroo dreams. 9 

Information is here — plus a lyrical story. 
In contrast. Kangaroos and Other Animals 
with Pockets by Darling provides much more 
information about these fascinating marsu- 
pials. The black-and-white illustrations give 
excellent details, and portray the graceful 
movement of the animals. Each sky appears 
stormy, and seems to give an ominous, brood- 
ing quality to the book. The reader learns 
about kangaroo nests, the development of 
the joey, battles for control of the “mob," 
evolution of the marsupials, and conserva- 
tion practices in Australia. Here is an en- 
grossing book of facts which reflects animal 
adaptations and changes of nature. Both 
books give accurate information; children will 
enjoy each one. The teacher must be aware 
of differences as noted in these examples and 
will help children discover such differences 
in style as they read for information. 

In looking for informational books about 
animals, the teacher will become familiar 
with publisher's series and patterns devel- 
oped by different authors. For young chil- 
dren, the True Book Series, published by 
Childrens Press, presents accurate informa- 
tion through an easy vocabulary set in man- 
uscript type. The First Book Series, pub- 
lished by Franklin Watts, gives more detail 
and is designed for older children. Written 
by specialists in each field, the All About 
Series, Random House, presents more de- 

• Margaret Wise Brown, Young Kangaroo . New 
York: W. R. Scott, 1955. p. 44. 


tailed information and uses fewer illustra- 
tions. 

Herbert Zim’s well-written animal books 
give interesting, accurate information, and 
the illustrations present details of life cycles 
and habits of animals. Zim initiated the 
trend of writing books about one animal and 
introduced unusual animals to children and 
adults alike. Golden Hamsters, Frogs and 
Toads, Ostriches, and Owls, are but a few of 
his excellent books. This writer has also es- 
tablished a unique pattern of presenting in- 
formation in his What*s Inside series. A se- 
quence of three pages gives data on one sub- 
ject. The first page uses large print and an 
easy vocabulary. On the next page there are 
diagrams to explain the content. Printed in 
smaller type, the third page gives more de- 
tail for the teacher or advanced reader. 

Olive Earle is another writer who presents 
accurate, interesting information. Crickets, 
Mice at Home and Afield, and Swans of Wil- 
low Pond are distinctive examples of her con- 
tribution to this type of literature for chil- 
dren. Wilfrid Bronson's books have fewer 
illustrations. He does not describe a single 
animal, but writes of species such as Turtles, 
Cats, Horns and Antlers, and Chisel-Tooth 
Tribe. He especially emphasizes adaptations 
to environment. A naturalist at the American 
Museum of Natural History, George Mason, 
has communicated the fun of studying na- 
ture in his series of books, Animal Weapons, 
Animal Tracks, Animal Tools, and Animal 
Homes. Some chapter titles from the table 
of contents of Animal Tools indicate his in- 
teresting approach: “Feet as Tools," “The 
Bee’s Tool Kit," and “Goggles and Flash- 
lights." 

Alice Goudey’s series includes Here Come 
the Beavers, Here Come the Seals, and Here 
Come the Bears. The Hogners are a team 
who encourage children to observe animals 
and their habits. Three of their books, Snails, 
Spiders, and Earthworms, tell about differ- 
ent species, reproduction, and how to keep 
the animal for study. Controlled vocabulary 
and attractive, detailed illustrations present 
characteristics of animals in the series by 



Children Seek Information about the Physical World - 139 


Darby, What Is a Butterfly? What Is a Fish? 
What Is a Frog? 

Interest in identification of animals begins 
as the child first points his finger and asks, 
“What is it?" Boys and girls want things 
named; as they grow older they use books 
to label collections. The books which have 
been mentioned in this chapter are actually 
identification books. In I Like Caterpillars , 
Conklin has written an interesting book of 
this type for young children. It is difficult, 
however, to find the letters which are the 
key to the names listed on the final page. The 
Golden Nature Guides by Zim are excellent 
references for children and teacher. Peter- 
son’s The Junior Book of Birds exemplifies 
an authoritative reference. An unusual 
method of identifying interesting animals is 
used by Pistorius in her series, What Butter- 
fly Is It? What Bird Is It? and What Dino- 
saur Is It? Rojankovsky's illustrations are ex- 
cellent in The Great Big Wild Animal Book . 
Osmond’s Animals of the World, Lemmon’s 
All About Strange Beasts of the Present, and 
Pope’s Reptiles Round the World help chil- 
dren become familiar with many animals. 

Another type of animal book describes life 
in a particular environment or region. In 
Wildlife at Your Doorstep Glen Rounds en- 
courages children to observe animals nearby. 
Information about animal life in water is 
presented in such books as In Ponds and 
Streams by Buck. Older pupils will find Fen- 
ton’s Wild Folk in the Desert and Wild Folk 
in the Woods interesting and useful. Under 
a Green Roof, Animals and Birds of Our 
Woods, by Jauss, would be excellent to use 
before or after a field trip to the woods. A 
fascinating study of insects is described in 
Sterling’s Creatures of the Night. Children 
may learn how to catch insects and how to 
observe their habits. The author describes 
what one may see on a night walk; many full- 
page illustrations are in white on navy blue. 
Other excellent drawings by Lubell show de- 
tails of insect life. 

Walt Disney’s beautiful photographs en- 
rich books based upon his films, The Living 
Desert and The Vanishing Prairie. In See Up 


the Mountain, Morrow writes of changing 
life at varying altitudes. Another author who 
writes of animals in a particular environ- 
ment is Millicent Selsam. See Through the 
Sea , See Through the Forest and See 
Through the Jungle use color, double-page 
spreads and descriptive prose to help the 
child experience a walk through these re- 
gions. 

We are in a dim green world A strange look- 

ing animal is waddling toward us on the trail. It 
has a nose like a nozzle, a tail like a huge brush, 
and legs that look like shaggy cowboy pants. This 
is the giant anteater. . . . [We turn the page to 
see bright yellow and green.] Our jungle trail 
has led us to a clearing We are suddenly daz- 

zled. . . . Swarms of insects are buzzing and whir- 
ring. Beetles shimmer with gold, emerald and 
ruby. 10 

Such a book helps the child experience the 
total environment. 

The Hole in the Tree is an example of a 
story which shows relationships of animals 
to each other. Jean George tells how the hole 
becomes larger as different animals make 
their nests in the old apple tree. Similarly, 
Blough tells of different animal homes in 
Who Lives in This House? How animals 
study tracks of their friends and enemies is 
told in the picture story by George, Snow 
Tracks. 

Books give children information about 
animal life; they also guide collectors and 
pet owners. Cooper encourages children to 
enjoy animals around them in Science in 
Your Own Backyard. In How to Make a 
Miniature Zoo, Brown suggests keeping in- 
sects, frogs, skunks, and other interesting 
animals. In Look for a Bird's Nest, Scharff 
suggests an interesting hobby. He tells how to 
identify, collect, and preserve bird nests. 
Your Parakeet by the Fosters, Pets by Chrys- 
tie, and Morgan’s An Aquarium Book for 
Boys and Girls are examples of good refer- 
ences for care of pets. A paper bound book 
by A. Barton simply titled, Pet Book, gives a 
veterinarian’s suggestions for selection, care, 
and training of pets. 

10 Millicent Selsam, See Through the Jungle. New 
York: Harper & Brothers, 1957. p. 25-4. 



140 - Knowing Children’ s Literature 



A California Redwood provides the 
continuity for the natural history of 
a region. For example, the big tree 
witnesses the exciting fight between 
two bucks. From Big Tree by Conrad 
and Mary Buff. Viking, 1946. © 1946 
Mary and Conrad Buff. 


Children gain information about animal 
life in general references such as Parker’s 
Golden Treasury of Natural History and 
The Rainbow Book of Nature by Peattie. 
These well-illustrated, concisely written vol- 
umes provide answers to many questions, but 
children who want more information will 
turn to the books previously described. 
Maker’s Our Tiniest Animals , and Neurath’s 
Too Small to See give young readers the spe- 
cific details they seek. An excellent guide for 
observing animals is provided by Brown in 
How to Understand Animal Talk. The word 
“talk” actually means communicate, for he 
describes animal communication with tails 
and feet as well as sound. The scientific ap- 
proach is emphasized in his comment, “Be 
careful then about believing all I have writ- 


ten in this book, because I, too, could be 
wrong. Be careful; be scientific !” 11 

When boys and girls gain information 
about animal life, they also gain an under- 
standing of human life and man's relation- 
ships to animals. The child who reads Sel- 
sam's All About Eggs and How They Change 
into Animals extends his understanding of 
human birth. In Holling’sMtrcw of the Missis- 
sippi and Pagoo he reads of the development 
of the turtle or crawfish, but he also gains a 
better understanding of the effects of the 
total environment on life. The process of se- 
lection, adaptation and change described in 
such books as Ancient Elephants by Scheele 
or All About Dinosaurs by Andrews contrib- 

11 Vinson Brown, How to Understand Animal Talk . 
Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1958. p. 196. 




Children Seek Information about the Physical World - 141 


utes to the child's comprehension of the evo- 
lutionary world. Carroll and Mildred Fenton 
have written a book which could be read by 
many second graders interested in prehistoric 
life. In their book, Prehistoric Zoo, there is 
an excellent comparison of animals of today 
and yesterday. Dinosaurs and Other Prehis- 
toric Animals by Geis is beautifully illus- 
trated by Peterson. The full-page drawings 
are realistic but not vicious in appearance. 
The pronunciation guide is an asset. 

Plants 

Such titles as The First Book of Plants by 
Hoke, The True Book of Plants We Know by 
Miner, All About the Flowering World by 
Lane, What Tree Is It? by Pistorius, and 
WhaVs Inside of Plants? by Zim represent 
informational books in the various series. 


Blough’s Wait for the Sunshine illustrates 
the relationship of plants and weather. Very 
young children will also enjoy the facts about 
plant growth in Bits That Grow Big by Web- 
ber. Books about plants less familiar to pupils 
should be brought to the classroom to de- 
velop new interests. Such books are The 
Story of Mosses, Ferns, and Mushrooms by 
Sterling and Wonder-World of Microbes by 
Grant. The biography of a giant redwood. 
Big Tree, gives information about plants and 
animals. The dramatic efforts to save the big 
trees form an exciting story written in beau- 
tiful prose by Conrad and Mary Buff. 

Weather 

Television weather reporters have made such 
words as “front,” “low,” and “high pressure 
area” common household words. Weather is 


Pictures and text trace the development of a storm from the first cloud to the arching 
of the rainbow. From The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow. Pictures by Margaret Bloy 
Graham. Harper, 1952. 




142 - Knowing Children's Literature 

studied at many levels in the elementary 
school. Such picture books as Tresselt’s Rain 
Drop Splash , Blough’s Not Only for Ducks, 
and Zolotow’s The Storm Book encourage 
observation and discussion of weather phe- 
nomena. Information about the weather bu- 
reau is clearly depicted in an “easy” book, 
Dan the Weatherman by Barr. Waller has 
also written a book for primary grade chil- 
dren simply titled, Weather . Changes in air 
and moisture are explained in an interesting 
style. Gray and yellow are used in Funk's at- 
tractive drawings. Excellent cloud photo- 
graphs and diagrams explain weather phe- 
nomena in Our Changing Weather written 
by the Fentons. 

Pupils may learn how to construct weather 
instruments and to forecast weather as they 
carry out suggested activities in Schneider’s 
Everyday Weather and How It Works. Fears 
of storms may be lessened as children read 
Zim’s Lightning and Thunder , Adler’s Hur- 
ricanes and Twisters, and Sandman's Who's 
Afraid of Thunder ? 

The search for whys of the weather is de- 
scribed by Gallant in Exploring the Weather . 
Large diagrams with shading, color, and 
clear explanations clarify causes of weather 
change. Interest in the future of the science 
of meteorology is encouraged in this com- 
plete reference for upper-grade children. 

Earth 

This wonderful planet — its soil, waters, and 
mountains, and the forces constantly creat- 
ing changes in its surface are sources of end- 
less questions for young scientists. Features 
of the earth are described in one of Meyer’s 
series, Picture Book of the Earth . The illus- 
trations are small, but the text gives a good 
background of general information. Another 
type of book about the earth is the special 
Life edition of The World We Live In. This 
volume is distinguished by its beautiful color 
photographs and paintings. Fold-out pages 
in this reference for older readers give pano- 
ramic views of parts of the earth. Geology 
wonders are introduced by the Schneiders 


in Rocks, Rivers and the Changing Earth. An 
example of a book which gives very specific 
information is one of the Maxton series, 
Mountains and Volcanoes by Medler. On 
each page there is a drawing of one mountain 
peak. Pronunciation guides are sorely needed 
for the names of the mountains. Delia Goetz 
has written about such regions of the earth as 
Deserts, and The Arctic Tundra. Plant and 
animal life, weather, and people who live in 
the region are described in simple text. 

Earth’s fascinating history is presented in 
Story of the Ice Age by Wyler and The First 
Book of the Earth by Miner. The sweeping 
movements of Lubell’s illustrations give ac- 
tion to Selsam’s text in Birth of an Island. 
The relationship of plants to animals is 
clearly presented in this account of the evolu- 
tion of life on an island. 

Minerals and resources of the earth have 
recently been described in interesting books. 
Olds tells in a picture-story. Deep Treasure, 
how oil was formed, how it was discovered, 
and how it is mined. Julian May’s You and 
the Earth Beneath Us includes information 
about caves and glaciers while another 
“What’s Inside” book by Zim, What's Inside 
the Earth, tells about the earth’s core. 

Although the surface of the earth is in the 
continuous process of being eroded and built 
up, the dramatic changes brought by vol- 
canoes and earthquakes seem to be of more 
interest to children. Galt's story, Volcano, 
tells of a Mexican family evicted by the erup- 
tion of Paricutin. It not only gives facts; it 
shows how the people felt under such strange 
circumstances. Excellent photographs of vol- 
canoes around the world distinguish Cole- 
man’s Volcanoes, New and Old. In addition 
to giving information, Johnson suggests dem- 
onstrations to illustrate action of volcanoes 
and earthquakes in The Story of Earthquakes 
and Volcanoes. 

Rock collectors of all ages need books to 
guide their study. Adventure With Rocks 
and Minerals is an interesting kit which in- 
cludes a book, specimens, and a guide for 
finding and testing rocks. In the book titled 



Children Seek Information about the Physical World - 143 


Adventure Book of Rocks, Evans suggests 
ways to store collections and appeals to the 
child’s sense of humor: 

You come trudging in with the stones you’ve 
collected. 

You’ve shown them to everyone who will look at 
them. 

Now where are you going to put them? 

Not on the first chair you come to — they're very 
uncomfortable to sit on. Not on the kitchen 
sink — they may get mixed up with the 
stew . . , 12 

A series of “career adventures" published 
by Popular Mechanics presents information 
about the earth and the men who study it. 
Randy Morrow is the teen-age hero of the 
series. In There's Adventure in Geology by 
Julian May, Randy goes to the Grand Can- 
yon, Meteor Crater in Arizona, and the 
Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In There's 
Adventure in Marine Science, May tells of 
Randy’s exploits in exploring the undersea 
world in the Caribbean. There is a more defi- 
nite plot and more adventure in this book. 
Ruzic’s There's Adventure in Meteorology 
follows the series pattern by including infor- 
mation about the training needed to enter 
the profession described. 

Energy and Its Uses 

Modern children sense the problems created 
by the search for the secrets of energy and its 
uses. In society today teachers and parents 
should encourage girls as well as boys to en- 
joy learning about heat, light, magnets, elec- 
tricity, atomic energy and machines which 
use these forces. Many authors are writing 
simple explanations of physical science. 
Teachers who feel overwhelmed by the 
knowledge of their pupils will also find these 
books excellent references to bridge gaps in 
their own informational backgrounds. 

The world of machines is clarified in such 
books as Elting’s Machines at Work, Lent's 

“Eva Knox Evans, Adventure Book of Rocks. New 
York: Capitol Publishing Company, 1955. p. 66. 


Diggers and Builders, Bate's Who Built the 
Highway?, and Zaffo's The Big Book of Real 
Building and Wrecking Machines . In Every- 
day Machines and How They Work and 
Things Around the House Schneider and 
Zim make common experiences seem uncom- 
mon. The mechanics of refrigerators, faucets, 
and toilets are explained in the latter book. 
There is simple text on the page opposite 
clear diagrams and more difficult, additional 
information on the reverse side. Young chil- 
dren may begin their understanding of en- 
ergy and machines as they use Lewellen's 
The True Book of Toys at Work . The 
Schneiders encourage learning about every- 
day machines in Let's Find Out and Let's 
Look Under the City. 

Experiments with sound, light, heat, mag- 
nets and electricity are found in the many 
experiment books previously described. Ex- 
periments With Light by Beeler and Branley 
and Sound: An Experiment Book by Baer 
will help pupils understand the more com- 
plex ideas presented in such books as Meyer’s 
Picture Book of Radio and Television and 
Television Works Like This by Bendick. 

Books help develop understandings of 
sources of power and its uses; they can also 
help form attitudes about its uses. Wyler and 
Ames show how motorcycles, cars, boats and 
trains work. Their conversational style in 
What Makes It Go? contributes to the inter- 
est of the book. In More Power to You, 
the Schneiders point out a significant idea: 

Wondering and thinking, planning and sharing 
they [people] caught the power of sunlight in its 
many forms. They built machines and engines to 
work for them. They used power to make life 
more pleasant and free for many people. But peo- 
ple also use these wonderful things to destroy life. 
. . . The power itself cannot choose; only people 
can do that. 13 

“What can you learn from a car window?” 
asks Barr in Young Scientist Takes a Ride . 
He proceeds to tell the reader interesting 

18 Herman and Nina Schneider. More Power to You . 
New York: W. R. Scott, 195S. p. 119. 



144 - Knowing Children* s Literature 

facts about inertia, reaction, gasoline, and the 
Doppler effect of sound. He describes obser- 
vation games and activities, for example, esti- 
mating distance and comparing it with the 
odometer. 

An investigation of children's concepts of 
atomic energy revealed that third- and sixth- 
grade pupils gained much information from 
such out-of-school sources as television and 
books. 14 It is difficult to explain atomic the- 
ory to children, but several authors have used 
diagrams, analogies, and cartoons to clarify 
these concepts. In The Mighty Atom, Lewel- 
len uses analogies with children’s everyday 
experience. Text and diagrams of "red, white, 
and green particles" clearly illustrate the 
atoms of various elements in Neurath's Ex - 
ploring the Atom . Peaceful uses of atomic 
energy in radio and X-ray are explained. 

The superior student will be challenged by 
such books as Freeman's All About the Atom 
and Bischof's Atoms at Work. He will want 
to try some of the demonstrations suggested 
by Beeler and Branley in Experiments With 
Atomics . Some of the materials suggested for 
the experiments may be difficult to obtain, 
however. The Walt Disney film, Our Friend 
the Atom, was reproduced as a book by the 
same title with text by Haber. Its colorful 
diagrams enrich the content designed for the 
very superior student or teacher. 

The wonders of chemistry are revealed to 
young scientists as they use such books as 
Meyer’s Picture Book of Molecules and 
A toms and try the controlled and safe experi- 
ments in Experiments in Chemistry by Beeler 
and Branley. Older pupils will be interested 
in new discoveries in Branley’s interesting 
book, Solar Energy. 

A summary of many forms of energy is 
presented in Hogben’s well-written book, 
The Wonderful World of Energy. Text and 
illustrations flow together to help the reader 
make an initial exploration into this complex 
field of study. Books will assist teachers and 
pupils in exploring “this wonderful world." 

14 Doris Young, “Atomic Energy Concepts of Chil- 
dren in Third and Sixth Grade,” School Science and 
Mathematics 58:535-40, October, 1958. 


Space 

Future space pilots continuously ask for 
books about space. They want to know how 
to get there and what they will find. Interest 
in airplanes has shifted to jets, rockets, and 
satellites. Teachers and librarians should 
help children distinguish between fact and 
fiction in these books. It is especially impor- 
tant to check the publication date of science 
books. Zim’s 1945 edition, Rockets and Jets 
and Neurath’s 1952 book, Rockets and Jets, 
are still useful because the principles of pro- 
pulsion remain the same. However, the infor- 
mation in Bendick’s The First Book of Space 
Travel, 1953, and Goodwin's The Real Book 
About Space Travel, 1952, should be care- 
fully studied and compared with recent ex- 
plorations. 

Young readers are introduced to some 
space concepts, but the gnomes and fairies in 
Hogan’s The Littlest Satellite seem to em- 
phasize the fictional aspect of space flight to 
such an extent that the information may be 
unnoticed. In contrast, Podendorf's The 
True Book of Space gives factual explana- 
tions to help young children answer such 
questions as “Where is space?" and “How do 
rockets travel in outer space?" Branley has 
also written a book for children in primary 
grades, A Book of Satellites for You. Sizes, 
weights, shapes, and speeds of rockets and 
satellites are compared with familiar ob- 
jects. His companion volume, A Book of 
Moon Rockets for You, explains in very sim- 
ple text how a rocket works and how it will 
be useful. In the Beginner Books series, Ran- 
dom House has published You Will Go to the 
Moon. First- and second-graders can read for 
themselves this book by the Freemans. The 
teacher will need to guide discussion to help 
children distinguish present accomplishment 
from future dream. 

The child who reads the last paragraph in 
Lewellen’s The Earth Satellite is led toward 
the future: 

The problems are beyond imagination. But 
man will blast off into space and live to tell about 



Children Seek Information about the Physical World - 145 


it, in 10 or 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 or 60 years from 

now You are here to see the beginning. And 

you are young enough, probably, to see the 
ending. 15 

This book, which preceded the first satellites, 
presents information in clearly written text 
and diagrams, but it is already outdated. Bee- 
land and Wells keep material up to date in 
Space Satellite, the Story of the Man-Made 
Moon . The third edition was published in 
1960, three years after its first printing. The 
sections dealing with instruments in the satel- 
lite and the minitrack system provide infor- 
mation often omitted in other space books. 
Most ten- to twelve-year-olds will enjoy this 
well-illustrated, clearly written book. 

Willy Ley bases his Adventures in Space 
series upon facts, but there are many conjec- 
tures in his books Space Pilots, Space Sta- 
tions, and Space Travel. Children will need 
guidance in separating present knowledge 
from theory and conjecture. A rather dra- 
matic, imaginary account of a flight to the 
moon gives information, but guidance is 
needed in selecting the facts in Moon Trip, 
True Adventures in Space by Nephew and 
Chester. What men will wear, problems of 
navigation, food, problems of weightlessness, 
and power for the flight are topics included 
in this account. The illustrations seem less 
effective because of lack of space. The teacher 
may want to check the statement, “the moon 
is a planet.” 

A general reference which widens the 
child’s horizons is The Golden Book of 
Astronomy by Wyler and Ames. This well- 
illustrated volume provides clear explana- 
tions of movements of the earth in the solar 
system. Size relationships are developed by 
the Schneiders in a book for all ages, How 
Big Is Big? This excellent book was revised in 
1959. 

Patterns in the sky, or constellations, in- 
trigue children who are interested in stars. 
Zim’s pocket guide, Stars, provides concise 
information and maps of the constellations. 

15 John Lewellen, Earth Satellite. New York: Alfred 
A. Knopf, 1957. p. 58. 



The use of familiar objects helps children visualize 
the size of scientific tools such as the comparison of 
the pencil and the minitrack system. From Space 
Satellite ; The Story of the Man-Made Moon by Lee 
Beeland and Robert Wells. Illustrated by Jack Cog- 
gins. © 1957, 1958, 1960. Prentice-Hall. 

A new way of locating stars and constella- 
tions is explained in The Stars by Clock and 
Fist. This book by H. M. Neely will encour- 
age children to establish bearings for locating 
stars by considering the Pole Star twelve 
o’clock on a clock face and by sighting a 
number of “fists” high, as the arm and closed 
fist become a sighting guide. The Freemans 
have written a very concise and readable 
book for younger children, The Sun, the 
Moon, and the Stars. Several activities are 
suggested to build concepts about the uni- 
verse. 

Zim has written authoritative, interesting 
books about the universe. The Sun includes 
an especially complete and clear account of 
sunspots. Shooting Stars and Comets exem- 
plifies books about other heavenly bodies. Roy 
Gallant’s series of “Exploring” books com- 
bine straightforward, interesting prose and 
artistic interpretations of the sun, moon, and 
planets. In Exploring Mars, for example, 
fact and fiction are clearly separated, but the 



146 - Knowing Children’s Literature 

teacher will need to guide the child's inter- 
pretation of this book. An outstanding as- 
stronomy book is The Moon: Earth’s Natural 
Satellite. This very detailed book by Branley 
includes photographs through telescopes and 
the photograph made by the Russian Satel- 
lite, Lunik III. The map of the moon is 
clearly explained. Mature readers will be 
challenged by the use of mathematical sym- 
bols. 

The How and Why Book of Rockets and 
Missiles by Knight is an example of an in- 
expensive, yet accurate and well-written book 
in a series edited by Blackwood. To keep in- 
formed and to make sure the library provides 
current materials, the teacher should be espe- 
cially familiar with new titles in the series 
books and continuously review new publica- 
tions about space. 


SUMMARY 

Boys and girls seek information about the 
physical world. Current events, objects, ani- 
mals, changes in the environment, and books 
may stimulate curiosity and create problems. 
The elementary teacher should guide them 
in the process of search through experimen- 
tation, first-hand experience, multisensory 
materials, and books. To teach problem-solv- 
ing skills effectively, many media, laboratory 
equipment, and a wide range of literature are 
necessary. To use the literature available 
today the teacher and librarian must be fa- 
miliar with many books. Criteria of authen- 
ticity and accuracy, organization, style, and 
appeals should be applied in selecting science 
books. The use of many books contributes to 
the development of skill in the method of 
science and to the extension of children’s in- 
terests. Children need guidance in using 
science books. It is not enough to bring a col- 
lection to the classroom. The teacher guides 
by teaching skill in locating information, in- 
terpreting diagrams and pictures, and by en- 
couraging critical thinking about the content 
of the book. 


SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 

1. Using the criteria developed in this chap- 
ter, compare several experiment books. 

2. Evaluate several identification books on 
one topic, such as trees, birds, or rocks. 

3. Imagine you are teaching a first, third, or 
fifth grade. A child brings two tadpoles to 
school. What books would you bring to 
the classroom? 

4. Assume you are planning a science-re- 
source unit for a particular class. Make a 
card file of books you could use with an- 
notations similar to those prepared by Mr. 
Schuster. 

5. Observe children selecting books in a 
school or public library. What books do 
they check out? 

RELATED READINGS 

Blough, Glenn; Schwartz. Julius; and Huggett, Albert. 
Elementary School Science and How to Teach It. 
Revised Edition. New York: Holt, Rinehart and 
Winston, 1958. 

“Helping Children Learn Science,” Chapter 3, 
includes a discussion of "Reading to Find the 
Answers.” Criteria for selecting science books are 
presented, p. 78-80. 

Burnett, R. Will. Teaching Science In the Elementary 
School. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 
1953. 

In Chapter One the author describes several in- 
vestigations of children’s science interests. Impli- 
cations for science programs and reading are clearly 
drawn. 

Craig, Gerald. Science for Elementary Teachers. 
Boston: Ginn 8c Co., 1958. 

The author relates principles of child development 
to science teaching in Chapters 1—3. 

Smith, Lillian. The Unreluctant Years. Chicago: 
American Library Association, 1953. 

The need for books of knowledge and criteria for 
their selection are presented in Chapter 12. 
Tannenbaum, Harold E.; and Stillman, Nathan. 
Science Education for Elementary School Teachers. 
Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1960. 

In Chapter Four, Using Reference Materials, the 
authors illustrate development of reference skills 
by describing classroom situations. The librarians 
in this anecdote guide development of skill in using 
encyclopedias and other references. 



Children Seek Information about the Physical World - 


Zim, Herbert. “Informational Books — Tonic and Tool 
for the Elementary Classroom/’ Elementary Eng- 
lish 29:129-135, March, 1952. 

CHAPTER REFERENCES 

Adler, Irving. Hurricanes and Twisters. Illustrated 
by Ruth Adler. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 
1955. 

Andrews, Roy C. All About Dinosaurs. Illustrated by 
Thomas W. Vater. New York: Random House, Inc., 

1953. 

Baer, Marian E. Sound: an Experiment Book. Draw- 
ings by Jean Martinez. New York: Holiday House, 
Inc., 1952. 

Barr, George. Young Scientist Takes a Ride. Pictures 
by William D. Hayes. New York: Whittlesey House, 
1960. 

Barr, Jene. Dan the Weatherman. Pictures by P. J. 

Hoff. Chicago: Albert Whitman & Company, 1958. 
Barton, Abraham. Pet Book. Illustrated by Lillian 
Obligado. New York: Hart Publishing Co., 1958. 
Bate, Norman. Who Built the Highway? New York: 

Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1953. 

Beeland, Lee and Robert Wells. Space Satellite, the 
Story of the Man-Made Moon. Illustrated by Jack 
Coggins. Third Edition. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: 
Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1960. 

Beeler, Nelson F. and Franklyn M. Branley. Experi- 
ments with Atomics. Illustrated by A. W. Revell. 
New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1954. 

Experiments in Chemistry. New York: 

Thomas Y. Crowell, 1952. 

Experiments With Light. Illustrated by Anne 

Marie Jauss New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1957. 

Experiments with a Microscope. Illustrated 

by Anne Marie Jauss. New York: Thomas Y. 
Crowell, 1957. 

Bendick, Jeanne (author-illustrator) . The First Book 
of Space Travel. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 

1953. 

Ha\>e a Happy Measle, A Merry Mumps, and 

a Cheery Chickenpox. New York: Whittlesey House, 
1958. 

and Robert Bendick (authors-illustrators) . 

Television Works Like This. New York: Whittlesey 
House, 1954. 

Bischof, George P. Atoms at Work. Drawings by Jere 
Donovan. New York: Harcourt, Brace 8c Company, 
1951. 

Black, Irma S. Busy Water. Pictures by Jane Castle. 

New York: Holiday House, Inc., 1958. 

Blough, Glenn O. Not Only for Ducks. Pictures by 
Jeanne Bendick. New York: Whittlesey House, 

1954. 

Wait for the Sunshine. Pictures by Jeanne 

Bendick. New York: Whittlesey House, 1954. 

■ Who Lives in This House? Pictures by Jeanne 


147 

Bendick. New York: Whittlesey House, 1957. 
Branley, Franklyn M. A Book of Moon Rockets for 
You. Illustrated by Leonard Kessler. New York: 
Thomas Y. Crowell, 1959. 

A Book of Satellites for You. Illustrated by 

Leonard Kessler. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 

1958. 

Solar Energy. Illustrated by John Teppick. 

New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1957. 

The Moon: Earth* s Natural Satellite. Illus- 
trated by Helmut K. Wimmer. New York: Thomas 
Y. Crowell, 1960. 

Branley, Franklyn M. and Eleanor K. Vaughn. 
Timmy and the Tin-Can Telephone. Illustrated 
by Paul Galdone. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 

1959. 

Brindze, Ruth. The Gulf Stream. Illustrated by 
Helene Carter. New York: Vanguard Press, 1945. 
Bronson, Wilfrid S. (author-illustrator) . Cats. New 
York: Harcourt, Brace 8c Company, 1950. 

Children of the Sea. New York: Harcourt, 

Brace 8c Co., 1940. 

Chisel-Tooth Tribe. New York: Harcourt, 

Brace 8c Co., 1939. 

Horns and Antlers. New York: Harcourt, 

Brace 8c Co., 1942. 

Turtles. New York: Harcourt, Brace 8c Co., 

1945. 

Brown. Margaret Wise. Young Kangaroo. Illustrated 
by S\meon Shimin. New York: William R. Scott, 
Inc., 1955. 

Brown, Vinson. How to Make a Miniature Zoo. Re- 
used edition. Illustrated by Don Greame Kelley. 
Boston: Little, Brown 8c Company, 1957. 

How to Understand Animal Talk. Illustrated 

b\ William D. Berry. Boston: Little, Brown 8c 
Company, 1958. 

Buchsbaum, Ralph. Animals Without Backbones. 

Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1948. 

Buck, Margaret W. (author-illustrator) . In Ponds 
and Streams. Nashville, Tenn., Abingdon Press, 

1955. 

Buff, Mar}' and Conrad. Big Tree. New York: The 
Viking Press, 1946. 

Calder, Ritchie. The Wonderful World of Medicine. 

Garden City, N.Y.: Garden City Books, 1958. 
Carson, Rachel Louise. The Sea Around Us. Special 
edition for young readers adapted by Anne Terry 
White. New York: Simon 8c Schuster, 1958. 
Chr)stie, Frances N. Pets. Illustrated by Gillett 
Good Griffin. New York: Little, Brown 8: Company, 
1953. 

Coleman, Satis N. Volcanoes, New and Old. Illus- 
trated. New York: John Day Co., 1946. 

Conklin. Gladys. 7 Like Caterpillars. Pictures by 
Barbara Latham. New York: Holiday House, 1958. 
Cooper, Elizabeth K. (author- illustrator) . Science in 
Your Own Back Yard. New York: Harcourt, Brace 
& Company, 1958. 



148 - Knowing Children’ s Literature 

Coy, Harold. Doctors and What They Do. New York: 
Franklin Watts, Inc., 1956. 

Darby, Gene. What Is a Butterfly? Pictures by Lucy 
and John Hawkinson. Benefic Press, 1958. 

What Is a Fish ? Pictures by Lucy and John 

Hawkinson. Benefic Press, 1958. 

What Is a Frog? Pictures by Lucy and John 

Hawkinson. Benefic Press, 1957. 

Darling, Louis (author- illustrator) . Kangaroos and 
Other Animals with Pockets . New York: William 
Morrow & Company, Inc., 1958. 

Disney, Walt (Productions) . The Living Desert. New 
York: Simon & Schuster, 1954. 

Our Friend the Atom. New York: Simon & 

Schuster, 1956. 

The Vanishing Prairie. New York: Simon & 

Schuster, 1955. 

Earle, Olive L. (author-illustrator) . Crickets. New 
York: William Morrow 8c Company, Inc., 1956. 

Mice at Home and Afield. New York: William 

Morrow & Company, Inc., 1957. 

Swans of Willow Pond. New York: William 

Morrow & Company, Inc., 1955. 

Elting, Mary. Machines at Work. Illustrated by 
Laszlo Roth. Garden City, N.Y.: Garden City 
Books, 1953. 

Epstein, Samuel and Beryl Williams. The Real Book 
About the Sea. Illustrated by Si Frankel. Garden 
City, N.Y.: Garden City Books, 1954. 

Evans, Eva Knox. Adventure Book of Rocks. Illus- 
trated by Vana Earle. New York: Capitol Publish- 
ing Co., Inc., 1955. 

Fenton, Carroll Lane, (author-illustrator) . Wild Folk 
in the Woods. New York: John Day, 1952. 

Fenton, Carroll Lane and Evelyn Carswell. Wild 
Folk in the Desert. Illustrated. New York: John 
Day, 1958. 

Fenton, Carroll Lane and Mildred A. Our Changing 
Weather. Illustrated. New York: Doubleday 8c Co., 
Inc., 1954. 

Prehistoric Zoo. New York: Doubleday 8c Co., 

Inc., 1959. 

Fisher, James. The Wonderful World of the Sea. 
Garden City, N.Y.: Garden City Books, 1957. 

Foster, Polly and Larry. Your Parakeet. Illustrated 
by Jerry Bowen. Chicago: Melmont Publishers, 1958. 

Freeman, Ira M. All About the Atom. Illustrated by 
George Wilde. New York: Random House, Inc., 
1955. 

Freeman, Ira M. and Mae B. Fun with Science. Illus- 
trated. New York: Random House, Inc., 1943. 

The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. Illus- 
trated by Rene Martin. New York: Random House, 
Inc., 1959. 

You Will Go to the Moon. Illustrated by 

Robert Patterson. New York: Random House, Inc., 
1959. 

Gallant, Roy A. Exploring Mars. Illustrated by 


Lowell Hess. Garden City, N.Y.: Garden City 
Books, 1956. 

Exploring the Moon. Illustrated by Lowell 

Hess. Garden City, N.Y.: Garden City Books, 1955. 

Exploring the Planets. Illustrated by John 

Polgreen. Garden City, N.Y.: Garden City Books, 
1958. 

Exploring the Sun. Illustrated by Lee J. 

Ames. Garden City, N.Y.: Garden City Books, 1958. 

Exploring the Universe. Illustrated by Lowell 

Hess. New York: Garden City Books, 1956. 

Exploring the Weather. Illustrated by Lowell 

Hess. New York: Garden City Books, 1957. 

Galt, Thomas Franklyn. Volcano. Pictures by Ralph 
Ray. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1946. 

Geis, Darlene. Dinosaurs. Illustrated by Kenyon 
Shannon. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, Inc., 1960. 

Dinosaurs and Other Pre-historic Animals. 

Pictures by R. F. Peterson. New York: Grosset & 
Dunlap, Inc., 1959. 

George, Jean C. (author-illustrator) . The Hole in 
the Tree. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 
1957. 

Snow Tracks. New York: E. P. Dutton 8c Co., 

Inc., 1958. 

Glemser, Bernard. All About the Human Body. 
Illustrated by Felix Traugott. New York: Random 
House, Inc., 1958. 

Goetz, Delia. The Arctic Tundra. Illustrated by 
Louis Darling. New York: William Morrow & 
Company, Inc., 1958. 

Deserts. Illustrated by Louis Darling. New 

York: William Morrow & Company, Inc., 1956. 

Goodwin, Harold L. The Real Book About Space 
Travel. Illustrated by Clifford Geary. Garden City, 
N.Y.: Garden City Books, 1952. 

Goudey, Alice E. Here Come the Bears! Illustrated 
by Garry MacKenzie. New York: Charles Scribner's 
Sons, 1954. 

Here Come the Beavers ! Illustrated by Garry 

MacKenzie. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 
1957. 

Here Come the Seals! Illustrated by Garry 

MacKenzie. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 
1957. 

Houses From the Sea. Illustrated by Adrienne 

Adams. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1959. 

Grant, Madeleine P. Wonder World of Microbes. 
Illustrated by Clifford N. Geary. New York: Whit- 
tlesey House, 1956. 

Gruenberg, Benjamin and Sidonie. The Wonderful 
Story of You. Drawings by Lee Ames. Garden City, 
N.Y.: Garden City Books, 1960. 

Haber, Heinz. Our Friend the Atom. Illustrated by 
the Walt Disney Studio. New York: Simon Sc 
Schuster, Inc., 1956. 

Harris, Louise and Norman. Little Red Newt. Illus- 
trated by Henry Bugbee Kane. Boston: Little, 
Brown & Company, 1958. 



Children Seek Information about the Physical World - 149 


Hausman, Leon A. and Felix Sutton. The Illustrated 
Book of the Sea. Illustrated by Art Renshaw and 
Herman Bischoff. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 
Inc., 1957. 

Herbert, Don. Mr. Wizard's Science Secrets. Drawings 
by Robert A. Barker. New York: Popular Mechan- 
ics, 1952. 

Hinshaw, Alice. The True Book of Your Body and 
You. Pictures by Frances Eckart. Chicago: Chil- 
drens Press, Inc., 1959. 

Hinton, Sam. Exploring Under the Sea. Illustrated 
by Rudolf Freund. Garden City, N.Y.: Garden 
City Books, 1957. 

Hogan, Inez. The Littlest Satellite. New York: E. P. 
Dutton & Co., Inc., 1958. 

Hogben, Lancelot T. The Wonderful World of 
Energy. Eileen Alpin, et al., artists. Garden City, 
N.Y.: Garden City Books, 1957. 

Hogner, Dorothy. Earthworms. Illustrated by Nils 
Hogner. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1953. 

Snails. Illustrated by Nils Hogner. New York: 

Thomas Y. Crowell, 1958. 

Spiders. Illustrated by Nils Hogner. New 

York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1955. 

Hoke, Alice Dickinson. The First Book of Plants. 
Pictures by Paul Wenck. New York: Franklin Watts, 
Inc., 1953. 

Holling, Holling C. (author-illustrator) . Minn of 
the Mississippi. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Com- 
pany, 1951. 

Holling, Holling C. Pagoo. Illustrated by the author 
and Lucille Webster Holling. Boston: Houghton 
Mifflin Company, 1957. 

Huntington, Harriet E. Let's Go to the Seashore. 
Photographs by the author. New York: Doubleday 
8c Company, Inc., 1941. 

Hutchinson, William M. A Child's Book of Sea Shells. 
New York: Maxton Publishers, Inc., 1954. 

The Sea and Its Mysteries. New York: Max- 

ton Publishers, Inc., 1958. 

Jauss, Anna Marie. Under A Green Roof , Animals 
and Birds of Our Woods. Philadelphia: J. B. Lip- 
pincott Co., 1960. 

Johnson, Gaylord. The Story of Earthquakes and 
Volcanoes. New York: Julian Messner, 1938. 

Jubelier, Ruth. About Jack's Dental Check Up. Illus- 
trated by James D. Johnson. Chicago: Melmont 
Publishers, 1959. 

Kane, Henry B. Tale of the Promethea Moth. Photo- 
graphs by the author. New York: Collins, 1946. 

Kettelkamp, Larry, (author-illustrator) . The Magic 
of Sound. New York: William Morrow 8e Company, 
Inc., 1956. 

Knight, Clayton. Rockets and Missiles. New York: 
Grosset Sc Dunlap, Inc., 1960. 

Lane, Ferdinand C. All About the Flowering World . 
Illustrated by Russell Francis Peterson. New York: 
Random House, Inc., 1956. 


All About the Sea. Illustrated by Fritz Kredel. 

New York: Random House, Inc., 1953. 

Larrick, Nancy. See for Yourself. Illustrated by Frank 
Jupo. New York: Aladdin, 1952. 

Leach, Maria. Beginning: Creation Myths Around 
the World. Illustrated by Jan Bell Fairservis. New 
York: Funk Sc Wagnalls Co., 1956. 

Leaf, Munro. Science Can Be Fun. Illustrated. Phila- 
delphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1958. 

Leeming, Joseph. The Real Book of Science Experi- 
ments. Illustrated by Bette J. Davis. Garden City, 
N.Y.: Garden City Books, 1954. 

Lemmon, Robert S. All About Strange Beasts of the 
Present. Illustrated by Rudolf Freund. New York: 
Random House, Inc., 1957. 

Lent, Henry B. (author-illustrator) . Diggers and 
Builders. New York: The Macmillan Company, 
1931. 

Lewellen, John B. Earth Satellite. Illustrated by Ida 
Scheib. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1957. 

The Mighty Atom. Illustrated by Ida Scheib. 

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1955. 

The True Book of Toys at Work. Pictures 

by Karl Murr. Chicago: Childrens Press, Inc., 
1953. 

Lewis, Lucia Z. The First Book of Microbes. Pictures 
by Margeurite Scott. New York: Franklin Watts, 
1955. 

Ley, Willy. Space Pilots. Illustrated by John Polgreen. 
New York: Golden Press, 1958. 

Space Stations. Illustrated by John Polgreen. 

New York: Golden Press, 1958. 

Space Travel. Illustrated by John Polgreen. 

New York: Golden Press, 1958. 

Life (Periodical) Editorial Staff. The World We 
Live In. Text adapted by Jane Werner Watson. 
New York: Simon Sc Schuster, Inc., 1956. 

Lynde, Carleton Science Experiences with Home 
Equipment. Scranton, Pa.: International Textbook 
Company, 1949. 

Malter, Morton S. Our Tiniest Animals. Pictures by 
Dirk. Chicago: Albert Whitman 8c Co., 1955. 

Mason, George F. Animal Homes. Illustrated. New 
York: William Morrow Sc Company, Inc., 1947. 

Animal Tools. Illustrated. New York: William 

Morrow 8c Company, Inc., 1951. 

Animal Tracks. Illustrated. New York: Wil- 
liam Morrow Sc Company, Inc., 1943. 

Animal Weapons. Illustrated. New York: Wil- 
liam Morrow 8c Company, Inc., 1949. 

McClung, Robert M. (author-illustrator) . Sphinx, 
Story of a Caterpillar. New York: William Morrow 
Sc Company, Inc., 1949. 

May, Julian. You and the Earth Beneath Us. Pictures 
by Beth Wilson. Chicago: Childrens Press, Inc., 
1958. 

There's Adventure in Geology. Illustrated by 

Robert Borja. New York: Popular Mechanics, 1959. 

There's Adventure in Marine Science . Illus- 



150 - Knowing Children’ s Literature 

trated by Richard Potts. New York: Popular 
Mechanics, 1959. 

Medler, James V. Mountains and Volcanoes . New 
York: Maxton Publishers, Inc., 1954. 

Meyer, Jerome S. Picture Book of the Earth. Illus- 
trated by Richard Floethe. New York: Lothrop, 
Lee & Shepard Co., Inc., 1949. 

Picture Book of Molecules and Atoms. Illus- 
trated by Richard Floethe. New York: Lothrop, 
Lee & Shepard Co., Inc., 1947. 

Picture Book of Radio and Television and 

How They Work. Illustrated by Richard Floethe. 
New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, Co., Inc., 1951. 
Miner, Opal Irene. First Book of the Earth. Pictures 
by Mildred Waltrip. New York: Franklin Watts, 
Inc., 1958. 

The True Book of Plants We Know. Illus- 
trated by the author and Karl Murr. Chicago: 
Childrens Press, Inc., 1953. 

Miner, Roy W. Field Book of Seashore Life. New 
York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1950. 

Morgan, Alfred P. Aquarium Book for Boys and 
Girls. Photographs and drawings by the author. 
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936. 

Morrow, Betty. See Up the Mountain. Pictures by 
Winifred Lubell. New York: Harper & Brothers, 
1958. 

Neely, Henry M. (author-illustrator) . The Stars by 
Clock and Fist. New York: The Viking Press, 1956. 
Nephew, William and Michael Chester. Moon Trip , 
True Adventures in Space. Illustrated by Jerry 
Robinson. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1959. 
Neurath, Marie R. (author-illustrator) . The Deep 
Sea. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1958. 

Exploring the Atom. New York: Lothrop, Lee 

Sc Shepard Co., Inc., 1957. 

Rockets and Jets. New York: Lothrop, Lee Sc 

Shepard Co., Inc., 1952. 

Too Small to See. New York: Sterling Pub- 
lishing Co., Inc., 1957. 

Norling, Josephine and Ernest, (authors-illustrators) . 
The First Book of Water. New York: Franklin 
Watts, Inc., 1952. 

Olds, Elizabeth (author-illustrator) . Deep Treasure. 

Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1958. 

Osmond, Edward. Animals of the World. New York: 

Oxford University Press, 1957. 

Parker, Bertha M. Golden Treasury of Natural His- 
tory. New York: Simon 8c Schuster, Inc., 1952. 
Peattie, Donald Culross. The Rainbow Book of 
Nature. Cleveland: World Publishing Company, 
1957. 

Perry, John. Our Wonderful Eyes. Pictures by Jeanne 
Bendick. New York: Whittlesey House, 1955. 
Peterson, Roger Tory. The Junior Book of Birds. 

Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1939. 
Pistorius, Anna (author-illustrator) . What Bird Is It ? 
Chicago: Follett Publishing Co., 1945. 


What Butterfly Is It? Chicago: Follett Pub- 
lishing Company, 1949. 

What Dinosaur Is It? Chicago: Follett Pub- 
lishing Company, 1958. 

What Tree Is It? Chicago: Follett Publishing 

Company, 1955. 

Podendorf, Ilia. The True Book of Animals of the 
Sea and Shore. Illustrated by Chauncey Maltman. 
Chicago: Childrens Press, Inc., 1956. 

The True Book of More Science Experiments. 

Illustrated by Chauncey Maltman. Chicago: Chil- 
drens Press, Inc., 1956. 

The True Book of Science Experiments. Pic- 
tures by Mary Salem. Chicago: Childrens Press, Inc., 
1954. 

The True Book of Space. Pictures by Robert 

Borja. Chicago: Childrens Press, Inc., 1959. 

Pope, Clifford H. Reptiles Round the World. Illus- 
trated by Helem Damrosch Tee- Van. New York: 
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1957. 

Ravielli, Anthony (author-illustrator) . Wonders of 
the Human Body. New York: The Viking Press, 
1954. 

Reed, William Maxwell. The Sea for Sam. Illustrated 
b) Wilfrid S. Bronson. New York: Harcourt, Brace 
& Company, 1935. 

Reed, W. Maxwell and Wilfrid Bronson. The Sea 
for Sam. Edited by Paul Brandewein. Illustrated 
with photographs. Revised edition. New York: Har- 
court, Brace Sc Company, 1960. 

Rojankovskv, Feodor (illustrator) . The Great Big 
Wild Animal Book. New York: Simon 8c Schuster, 
Inc., 1951. 

Rounds, Glen (author-illustrator) . Wildlife at Your 
Doorstep. Englewood Cliffs, N.T.: Prentice-Hall, 
Inc., 1958. 

Ruzic, Neil R. There* s Adventure in Meteorology. 
Illustrated by Frank Murphy. New York: Popular 
Mechanics, 1958. 

Sandman, Howard E. Who's Afraid of Thunder? 
Drawings by Peter White. New York: Sterling Pub- 
lishing Co., Inc., 1953. 

Saunders, John R. Golden Play Book of Sea Shells 
Stamps. Illustrated by James G. Irving. New York: 
Simon 8c Schuster, Inc., 1957. 

Scharff, Robert. Look For a Bird's Nest. Illustrated 
by Valerie Swanson. New York: G. P. Putnam's 
Sons, 1958. 

Scheele, William E. (author-illustrator) . Ancient 
Elephants. Cleveland: World Publishing Company, 
1958. 

Schloat, G. Warren (author-illustrator) . Andy's 
Wonderful Telescope. New York: Charles Scrib- 
ner’s Sons, 1958. 

The Magic of Water. New York: Charles 

Scribner’s Sons, 1955. 

Your Wonderful Teeth. New York: Charles 

Scribner’s Sons, 1954. 



Children Seek Information about the Physical World - 151 


Schneider, Herman. Everyday Machines and How 
They Work . Pictures by Jeanne Bendick. New 
York: Whittlesey House, 1950. 

Everyday Weather and How It Works. Pic- 
tures by Jeanne Bendick. New York: Whittlesey 
House, 1951. 

Schneider, Herman and Nina. Follow the Sunset. Pic- 
tures by Lucille Corcos. New York: Doubleday & 
Company, Inc., 1952. 

How Big Is Big ? Illustrated by Symeon 

Shimin. Leicester, England: Brockhampton, Lim- 
ited, 1959. 

How Your Body Works. Illustrated by Bar- 
bara Ivins. New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1959. 

Let's Find Out. Pictures by Jeanne Bendick. 

New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1946. 

Let’s Look Under the City. Illustrated by 

Bill Ballantine. New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 
1954. 

More Power to You. Illustrated by Bill Bal- 
lantine. New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1953. 

Now Try This. Pictures by Bill Ballantine. 

New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1947. 

Rocks, Rivers and the Changing Earth. Illus- 
trated by Edwin Herron. New York: William R. 
Scott, Inc., 1952. 

Science Fun with Milk Cartons. Pictures by 

Jeanne Bendick. New York: Whittlesey House, 

1953. 

Schneider, Leo. Lifeline: The Story of Your Circula- 
tion System. Illustrated by Jere Donovan. New 
York: Harcourt, Brace & Co., 1958. 

Schwartz, Julius. It’s Fun to Know Why. Illustrated 
by Edwin Herron. New York: Whittlesey House, 
1952. 

Through the Magnifying Glass. Pictures by 

Jeanne Bendick. New r York: Whittlesey House, 

1954. 

Selsam, Millicent E. All About Eggs and How They 
Change Into Animals. Illustrated by Helen Ludwig. 
New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1952. 

Birth of an i ''mud. Pictures by Winifred 

Lubell. New York: llaiper & Brothers, 1959. 

Play with Vines. " .«rat*_d by Fred Scherer. 

New York: William Morrow Sc Company, Inc., 1951. 

Play with Seeds. Illustrated by Helen Ludwig. 

New York: William Morrow & Company, Inc., 1957. 

See Through the Forest. Pictures by Winifred 

Lubell. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 1956. 

See Through the Jungle. Pictures by Winifred 

Lubell. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 1957. 

, and Betty Morrow. See Through the Sea. 

Pictures by Winifred Lubell. New York: Harper Sc 
Brothers, 1955. 

Sterling, Dorothy. The Story of Mosses, Ferns, and 
Mushrooms. Photographs by Myron Ehrenberg. 
New York: Doubleday Sc Company, Inc., 1955. 

Creatures of the Night. Illustrated by Wini- 


fred Lubell. New York: Doubleday & Company, 
Inc., 1960. 

Strain, Frances Bruce. Being Bom. New York: Apple- 
ton -Century-Crofts, Inc., 1954. 

Thayer, Ruth rf. Mr. Wizard's funior Science Show. 

Skokie, 111.: Rand McNally 8c Co., 1957. 

Tresselt, Alvin. Rain Drop Splash. Pictures by Leon- 
ard Weisgard. New York: Lothrop, Lee 8c Shepard 
Co., Inc., 1946. 

UNESCO. 700 Science Experiments for Everyone. 
Illustrated. New York: Doubleday Sc Company, Inc., 
1958. 

Waller, Leslie. Weather. Illustrated by Tom Funk. 

New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1959. 
Webber, Irma E. (author-illustrator) . Bits That 
Grorv Big. New York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1949. 
Wilson, Mitchell. The Human Body What It Is 
and How It Works. Illustrated by Cornelius De- 
Witt. New York: Golden Press, 1959. 

Wyler, Rose. The First Book of Science Experiments. 
Pictures by Ida Scheib. New York: Franklin Watts, 
Inc., 1952. 

Wyler, Rose and Gerald Ames. The Golden Book of 
Astronomy. Illustrated by John Polgreen. New 
York: Simon Sc Schuster, Inc., 1955. 

What Makes It Go? Illustrated by Bernice 

Myers. New York: Whittlesey House, 1958. 

Story of the Ice Age. Pictures by Thomas W. 

Voter. New York: Harper Sc Brothers, 1956. 

Yates, Raymond. Fun with Your Microscope. New 
York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1943. 

Zaffo, George J. (author-illustrator) . The Big Book 
of Real Building and Wrecking Machines. New 
York: Grosset 8c Dunlap, Inc., 1951. 

Zim, Herbert S. Comets. Illustrated by Gustav Schrot- 
ter. New York: William Morrow 8c Company, Inc., 

1957. 

Frogs and Toads. Illustrated by Joy Buba. 

New York: William Morrow Sc Company, Inc., 1950. 

Golden Hamsters. Illustrated by Herschel 

Wartik. New York: William Morrow 8c Company, 
Inc., 1951. 

Lightning and Thunder. Illustrated by James 

Gordon Irving. New York: William Morrow 8c 
Company, Inc., 1952. 

Ostriches. Illustrated by Russell Francis Peter- 
son. New York: William Morrow Sc Company, Inc., 

1958. 

Owls. Illustrated by James Gordon Irving. 

New York: William Morrow 8c Company, Inc., 1950. 

Parakeets. Illustrated by Larry Kettelkamp. 

New York: William Morrow 8c Company, Inc., 1953. 

Rockets and Jets. Harcourt, Brace 8c Co., 1945. 

Shooting Stars. Illustrated by Gustav Schrot- 

ter. New York: William Morrow 8c Company, Inc., 
1958. 

The Sun. Illustrated by Larry Kettelkamp. 

New York: William Morrow & Company, Inc., 1953. 



152 - Knowing Children's Literature 


Things Around the House. Illustrated by 

Raymond Perlman. New York: William Morrow & 
Company, Inc., 1954. 

What's Inside of Animals? Illustrated by Her- 

schel Wartik. New York: William Morrow & Com- 
pany, Inc., 1955. 

What's Inside of Me? Illustrated by Herschel 

Wartik. New York: William Morrow & Company, 
Inc., 1952. 

What's Inside of Plants? Illustrated by Her- 
schel Wartik. New York: William Morrow & Com- 
pany, Inc., 1952. 

What’s Inside the Earth? Illustrated by Ray- 
mond Perlman. New York: William Morrow & 
Company, Inc., 1953. 

Your Food and You. Illustrated by Gustav 

Schrotter. New York: William Morrow 8c Company, 
Inc., 1957. 

Your Heart and How It Works. Illustrated by 


Gustav Schrotter. New York: William Morrow & 
Company, Inc., 1959. 

Zim, Herbert S. and Ira N. Gabrielson. Birds. Illus- 
trated by James Gordon Irving. Golden Nature 
Guides. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1956. 

Zim, Herbert S. and Hobart M. Smith. Reptiles and 
Amphibians. Illustrated by James Gordon Irving. 
Golden Nature Guides. New York: Simon & 
Schuster, Inc., 1953. 

Zim, Herbert S. and Lester Ingle. Seashores: A Guide 
to Animals and Plants Along the Beaches. Illus- 
trated by Dorothea and Sy Barlowe. New York: 
Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1955. 

Zim, Herbert S. and Robert H. Baker. Stars. Illus- 
trated by James Gordon Irving. New York: Simon 
and Schuster, Inc., 1951. 

Zolotow, Charlotte. The Storm Book. Pictures by 
Margaret Bloy Graham. New York: Harper 8c 
Brothers, 1952. 



5 -Children Seek Information 
About People and Places 


The chairman of the sixth grade class was 
conducting the daily discussion of current 
events in the local community, nation, and 
world. He called upon Joe who reported, “I 
saw an interview on television with a man 
from the Congo in Africa and he told about 
the new country which is going to be inde- 
pendent. It used to be owned by Belgium." 

“Would you locate it on the map for us?" 
Bob, the chairman, asked. (These children 
had been consistently guided to locate un- 
familiar places in the news.) Joe pointed to 
the country. 

“How did they get their independence?" 
queried Carol. “Did they fight for it?" 

“I’m not sure," Joe responded. “I remem- 
ber this man said they had an election." 

Mr. Prentice, the teacher, asked the class, 
“What do you know about this region?" 

“It is hot." 

“It rains a lot." 

“People are very backward." 


“They don’t need many clothes or strong 
houses." 

“They don’t have much education." These 
were the responses which reflected the rather 
limited knowledge of the children. 

“But some of them have gone to school," 
Jane noted. “Who will be smart enough to 
run the government when only a few are 
really — well — really civilized?" 

“My Dad says Africa is going to be a great 
power and we'd better watch out," added 
Charles. 

“How could it be powerful when they’re 
just natives?" Bob questioned. 

“Well, they have a lot of resources," com- 
mented Janet. “There is gold and they mine 
diamonds.” 

“But they don’t know how to do things — 
like make cars and fly planes and stuff like 
that," Mike asserted. “And they have very 
old-fashioned, well, I think it’s primitive 
ways." 




Children use bdbks and many materials to learn about people and places. Drawing for 
cover. Magazine of Books, Chicago Sunday Tribune (November 11, 1951). By Elizabeth 
Orton Jones. 


Ellen had remained quiet, but raised her 
hand to add, “I read a book called Thirty- 
One Brothers and Sisters and they did have 
what you called — primitive ways, Mike. But 
the children really were sort of like us. They 
had work to do and liked games and fun and 
I think they could learn a lot.” 

Mr. Prentice asked, “Do you know the 
names of the different countries in Africa? 
How are the various regions different? Just as 
the American colonies struggled to form a gov- 
ernment, many countries in Africa are strug- 
gling to gain independence. The people have 
154 


had to change very quickly from a primitive 
civilization to a modern civilization; this cre- 
ates many problems. Let's continue to bring 
in news items and find more information 
about Africa.” 

The student chairman said, “Probably 
we’ve talked enough since we don't have too 
much information. How many are interested 
in giving some special reports? Mary, would 
you write down the names?” 

The room secretary wrote the names on a 
chart near the chalk board under the head- 
ing, “Find Out More About Africa Today.” 



Children Seek Inf ormation about People and Places - 155 


BOOKS AND THE SOCIAL STUDIES 


This class had raised some significant prob- 
lems. Their interest in other countries and 
changing patterns of life had been aroused 
through this current events discussion. Mr. 
Prentice, the teacher, will provide recent ma- 
terials in magazines and pamphlets. The 
children who make special reports will use 
several books to get information about the 
lands and people of Africa. Perhaps the class 
will plan a longer study of these countries. 
The teacher will guide their future discus- 
sions as the special reports are given. The 
study will center upon the geographic fea- 
tures and resources of Africa and the ways 
men have used them. The children will learn 
more about the relationships of men on this 
continent — relationships to the environment 
and to each other. Literature will play a sig- 
nificant part in the development of under- 
standings of other people. 

The Social Studies Curriculum 

Mr. Prentice was teaching several aspects of 
social studies during this current events dis- 
cussion. He provided opportunity for devel- 
opment of the social skills of group work — 
leadership, and effective participation. The 
classroom itself was a laboratory in develop- 
ing good human relations. He was concerned 
with the development of attitudes toward 
others. He was guiding children to seek accu- 
rate information about environments and 
people. 

In this school, social education permeated 
the activities of the entire school day. The 
teachers were concerned with the develop- 
ment of good human relations on the play- 
ground, in the cafeteria, and through service 
projects for school and community. Social 
education also included study of people and 
their relationships to each other and their 
environment in the past and in the present. 
There was a planned program for develop- 
ment of concepts related to the content of the 
social studies drawn from the disciplines of 
history, geography, economics, sociology, po- 


litical science, and anthropology. The social 
studies program was organized around broad 
units emphasizing man's social processes such 
as transportation, communication, and pro- 
duction of food, clothing, and shelter. Each 
year all children had the opportunity to learn 
more about man in his home, his community, 
his state, his nation, and his world. In each 
grade one area of living usually received 
greater emphasis while the other areas were 
developed informally; for example, in second 
grade, emphasis was upon the community, 
while in the sixth grade, the guide suggested 
emphasis upon other lands. However, the 
second graders might learn about foods in 
other lands and the sixth graders might study 
current community problems for a short 
period of time. Flexibility was provided in 
the curriculum guide in order that current 
interests could be met. 

Organizational patterns for broad social 
education or the more narrowly defined so- 
cial studies vary widely in elementary schools. 
In some schools history and geography will 
be taught as separate subjects; in other 
schools subjects retain their identity, but are 
correlated. For example, the geography of 
New England may be studied concurrently 
with the Colonial period in the history class. 
The problem-solving approach suggested in 
many schools emphasizes broader relation- 
ships. Regardless of the organizational pat- 
tern, the elementary school should develop 
concepts which will enable children to func- 
tion effectively in their social world today and 
tomorrow. Examples of these concepts are: 

• Man’s natural environment to a large 

extent helps shape the character of his 
economic and social activities. 

• The physical make-up of the earth makes 

some areas more desirable for men's 
activities and life than others. 

• Areas rich in resources have been sources 

of competition among major groups of 
people. 

• Topography, water, and climate have 



156 - Knowing Children's Literature 

had important influences on the move- 
ment of people and settlements. 

• Man varies his use of an area as resources 

are depleted or as new resources are 
discovered. 

• There are many, many people on the 

earth and these people have much in 
common. 

• People in various parts of the world meet 

their needs for food, clothing, shelter, 
and recreation in different ways. 

No single experience results in the develop- 
ment of such concepts. Many experiences and 
many books will be needed to help children 
build these generalizations. Children begin 
with simple facts and continue the process of 
concept development throughout life. The 
elementary teacher provides the materials 
and the stimulation to help the child make 
these facts of the world of today and yester- 
day a part of his conceptual background. 

Books in the Social Studies Curriculum 

The curriculum for social education provides 
experiences which develop understandings 
of man’s social relationships in the world to- 
day, his social relationships in the past, and 
understandings of inter-personal relation- 
ships of individuals. Literature can help the 
child achieve these understandings. Facts are 
needed to solve problems of relationships in 
the present, whether with classmates, one’s 
family, or with the community. Although 
children gain facts through first-hand experi- 
ences, through interviews and discussions, 
and through audio-visual materials, books 
represent a major source of information. 

The process of identifying problems, gath- 
ering data from many sources, and sharing 
information in varied ways was described in 
Chapter Four. A similar procedure is recom- 
mended as children seek to solve problems of 
human relationships and as they search for 
understanding of people and places. To de- 
velop skills of using many materials to solve 
problems, to extend experiences with many 
peoples, and to provide for individual inter- 
ests and abilities, the teacher must use a wide 
variety of children’s books. One text can not 


provide for the wide informational needs nor 
satisfy the varied reading abilities of the chil- 
dren in one class. 

The elementary teacher is aware that once 
children seek information about regions be- 
yond their community, learning becomes vi- 
carious. The child in Iowa learns about the 
forests of the Pacific Northwest through pic- 
tures, films, books, and exhibits; similarly, he 
learns about the jungles of the Amazon or the 
forests of Germany. In a sense, the phrase 
“Other Lands’’, refers to any land not yet ex- 
perienced — land away from the immediate 
area. It is interesting to note Webster’s defini- 
tion of foreign ; the first definition, “Situated 
outside a place or country, esp. outside one’s 
own country or locality” might be compared 
with a second definition, now rendered obso- 
lete, “Not of, or not pertaining to, one’s home 
or household.” It seems probable that travel 
at 2100 miles per hour and world-wide tele- 
vision will make the first definition obsolete 
in the future, for one’s locality will truly ex- 
tend around the planet, and “foreign” will be 
the reaches of outer space. The child’s imme- 
diate community is expanding as he travels 
vicariously via television. The mobility of 
our population and extensive vacation travel 
make the remote familiar. The school cur- 
riculum should make use of children’s expe- 
riences and extend them through the use of 
many media. Concurrently, the elementary 
teacher turns to the wide variety of literature 
available to help children better understand 
these “other lands” and the people who in- 
habit them. 

Criteria for Books About People 
and Places 

In selecting books about people and places, 
the general criteria for informational books 
suggested in Chapter 4 should be considered. 
There are some additional questions which 
should be asked as the teacher reviews books 
about other lands. Clear photographs, accu- 
rate illustrations, and representative scenes 
are important in the book dealing with geo- 
graphic concepts. Does the text explain the 
significance of terrain, climate, resources? 



Children Seek Information about People and Places - 157 


Does the reader realize the effect of isolation, 
lack of education, and communication upon 
the people? Do pictures and text help the 
child become aware of the differences within 
one region or country? Is the style of writing 
really interesting to children? In far too many 
books, the reader feels he has been bom- 
barded with details delivered in lecture form. 
In some of the travel books, it seems the 
reader is running to maintain the pace of the 
guide who is talking rapidly as cities, monu- 
ments, and factories are viewed. Some travel 


books are still written in a didactic style. Fic- 
tionalized relatives or friends introduce 
topics in order to squeeze in bits of informa- 
tion during dinner or family walks. Imag- 
inary trips are planned which seem highly 
improbable. Therefore, the teacher should 
ask, does the style seem realistic? In books of 
fiction are the characters believable? Are 
stereotypes avoided? Are the Dutch portrayed 
only in wooden shoes? Are Japanese children 
merely porcelain figures in bright kimonos, 
always smiling and courteous? 


TYPES OF BOOKS ABOUT PEOPLE AND PLACES 


The following types of books illustrate the 
wide range of literature about people, social 
processes, and places. Children want to know 
more about people, their countries, and their 
ways of living. 1 They also seek understanding 
of ethics, values, and religion. 2 Children’s 
books related to the social studies curriculum 
are presented in the following three chapters: 
Chapter 5 reviews books about The Earth as 
Man’s Home, Man and His Social Processes, 
The United States Today, and Other Lands 
Today. Both factual and fictional books are 
included. Chapter 6 presents biography, fac- 
tual history books, and historical fiction, 
while Chapter 7 discusses literature which 
will help the child better understand himself 
and interpersonal relations with others. 

The Earth as Man’s Home 

Many of the books reviewed in Chapter 4 
help children understand the features, re- 
sources, and climate of this planet which in- 
fluence man's behavior. Emphasis upon the 
theme, The Earth As Man’s Home, will assist 
children in building a concept of man relat- 
ing to his environment. Children need first- 
hand experiences with soil, trees, plants, and 

Arthur T. Jersild and Ruth J. Tasch, Children's 
Interests and What They Suggest for Education. New 
York: Teachers College, Columbia University, 1949. 

8 Herbert C. Rudman, “Informational Needs and 
Reading Interests of Children in Grades IV Through 
VIII,” Elementary School Journal 55:502-12, May, 
1955. 


animals; they also need to explore through 
literature. 

What Is the World? by Miles brings to 
young children the concept of a round planet 
with land and sea, mountains, and rivers. In 
I Live in So Many Places, Hengesbaugh de- 
scribes the world in which the child lives. 
Each page develops the idea of a place where 
the child lives — in a house on a street, in a 
town or city, in a state, a country, a continent, 
and a hemisphere. The simple line drawings 
help clarify the meaning of these words. 

Some beginning geographies give an intro- 
duction to the continents and to the life upon 
them. This Is the World by Pease is an excel- 
lent beginning geography for children in 
grades two and three. The illustrations in this 
book help to clarify the idea of gravity pull- 
ing toward the center of the earth. Other pic- 
tures show air around the earth, the earth's 
inner core, the continents, and the different 
regions with their plants and animals. The 
smiling children of the world seem to be 
friends, and the author writes, “Reading 
books and magazines and newspapers is a fine 
way for people on the Earth to get together." 8 
The Golden Geography by Werner is another 
geography which provides a useful introduc- 
tion to map reading. Parents and teachers 
alike will appreciate the suggestions for learn- 
ing to tell direction. The illustrations make 

•Josephine Pease, This Is the World. Skokie, Illi- 
nois: Rand McNally & Co., 1944. p. 66. 



158 - Knowing Children's Literature 

the text come alive as information about 
rivers, climates, surface features, and waters 
of the continents is given in a straightforward 
manner. The index is also helpful. Sonder- 
gard writes at the middle-grade child’s level 
without talking down to him as she describes 
the continents in My First Geography of the 
Pacific and My First Geography of the Amer- 
icas. The illustrations in the former blend 
with the text more effectively than the spotty 
drawings in the book about the Americas. 
The content in these books is very general, 
but children will enjoy browsing in them. 

Maps and descriptions of continents will 
not suffice to develop concepts about the 
earth. Children need to use books about 
rivers, soil, mountains, and life of the earth. 
Many of these books were cited in Chapter 
Four, but additional examples will indicate 
the types of literature available which will be 
useful in developing geographical concepts. 
In The Wonder World of Land and Water, 
Neurath illustrates rock formations, vol- 
canoes, earthquakes, and geysers. The teacher 
would need to provide additional informa- 
tion about the theories of the core of the 
earth, however. One of the All About Series, 
Great Rivers of the World, presents fascinat- 
ing information about the Nile, Amazon, 
Yangtze, Volga, and Mississippi in a very in- 
teresting style. White’s vivid description of 
the 25,000 square miles of marsh creates a far 
different picture of the Nile than one usually 
holds. The reader is eager to follow the au- 
thor to the next river. Economic concepts are 
integrated as she describes changes in use of 
rivers to meet modern industrial needs. An- 
other example of geography in literature for 
children is The Arctic Tundra by Goetz. 
Animal and plant life in these far-reaches 
which are becoming more and more impor- 
tant to man, are described in clear text 
and black-and-white drawings. The diagrams 
showing the cause of seasonal change will 
need to be supplemented with experiences 
with the globe. Unfortunately, there is no pro- 
nunciation guide. Holling’s Minn of the Mis- 
sissippi is usually considered an animal book, 
but there is geography here as the reader fol- 


lows the turtle’s journey down the Missis- 
sippi. People, industries, and evidences of 
early explorations are related as the indefati- 
gable Minn wends her way to the Gulf. This 
author has also presented geographic con- 
cepts of the Great Lakes region in Paddle-to- 
the Sea. 

In Why We Live Where We Live, Evans 
helps children realize the relationship of the 
work men do to mountains, rivers, harbors, 
and resources. This would provide an excel- 
lent introduction to the study of any country. 
As the children become familiar with the 
globe’, the teacher might read about the rela- 
tionship of environmental factors to the life 
of people. 

Some of the fine picture books for children 
contain geographical concepts. Time of Won- 
der is an example of a book which develops 
geographic concepts. As the rhythmic text de- 
scribes life in Maine, and as the eye wanders 
over McCloskey’s lovely island landscapes, 
the child builds an appreciation of land, 
water, sky, and the plants, animals, and peo- 
ple on the island. The effect of the weather 
on economy and activities of man is illus- 
trated as the fog lifts, the hurricane blows, 
and cold winds come. 

The soft pink glow of the sunset reflects on 
each page of Follow the Sunset. The Schnei- 
ders describe the rhythm of life around the 
world as families return from work, eat, 
laugh together, and sing the little ones to 
sleep. Differences in environment, work, 
dress, home, food, and language are shown, 
but all are united in the need for rest and 
comfort in the family circle as the earth keeps 
turning and the reader follows the sunset. 
The recording 4 of folk lullabys, under the 
same title, would enrich the experience of 
this book which is enjoyed by children in 
primary and middle grades. 

Man and His Social Processes 

Man is a flexible, imaginative creature who 
has adapted to his environment as he engaged 

4 Follow the Sunset, Folkways Record FC7406. Folk- 
ways Records, 117 West 46th Street, New York 36, 
New York. 



in the social processes necessary to maintain 
and enhance life. Children need understand- 
ing and appreciation of social processes in 
their own region, other lands, and in the past. 
Children today have few opportunities to ob- 
serve many of the processes of providing 
food, clothing, and shelter. Technology cre- 
ates complex industries; many factory work- 
ers are unaware of the total production 
process. Combined with first-hand experience 
and visual materials, books help provide clear 
concepts regarding our interdependence in 
the production of goods and services. Trans- 
portation, communication, government, rec- 
reation, and esthetic appreciation are in- 
cluded in these processes. 

SHELTER 

Provision for shelter becomes part of a study 
of the community or is integrated in an ex- 
ploration of life in the past or other lands. 
An easy book by Miles, A House for Every- 
one develops the concept that houses differ, 
but all of them provide shelter. Some of the 
concepts are summarized by Burns in A 
World Full of Homes: 



From the travels of a miniature canoe children 


learn about the Great Lakes Region. From Paddle- 
to-the-Sea by Holling C. Holling. Houghton Mifflin, 


1941. 


1. People live in homes because they need shel- 
ter .. . 

2. They make their homes in ways that seem best 
to them . . . 

3. We know that people were influenced by the 
country they lived in . . . 5 

As informational books develop such con- 
cepts, we also need to be aware of attitude 
development. Burns continues, “. . . you make 
your home by the way you live in it. The way 
you think and act makes your home . . . and 
the most important thing of all is the love all 
of us give to and receive from our family ." 6 
One of the series about Pogo, Pogo’s House, 
tells how John goes to a forest and learns how 
lumber is obtained for the house. Size rela- 
tionships are shown clearly in the drawings 
of this book by the Norlings. Step by step, the 

8 William A. Burns, A World Full of Homes. New 
York: Whittlesey House, 1953. p. 114. 

•Ibid., p. 117. 


child can follow the building of a house in 
How Do You Build a House ? by Mason. 
Houses by Werner and The Story of Houses 
by Case show how houses are built of avail- 
able material. The soft, warm colors in Wer- 
ner s book and the easy text make it useful 
for primary grades, while the book by Case 
will be more appropriate for older children. 
However, both age groups will use the infor- 
mation given in the pictures of both books. 
Osmond’s book, Houses, traces the develop- 
ment of houses. Here we see floor plans, ex- 
teriors, and cutaway drawings of a Roman 
villa, a Manor house, and Georgian and Vic- 
torian homes. The academically superior 
child in a second or third grade would be 
challenged by such books. 

Building a skyscraper is described in Yen 
Liang’s beautiful picture book. The Sky- 
scraper. Children will enjoy the planning 
meeting viewed from above, for it is drawn 







A cross-sectional diagram Bhows busy 
workers using many tools in building 
a skyscraper. From Skyscraper by Yen 
Liang. Lippincott, 1958. 


much as a child would draw. The big ma- 
chines as well as hand tools are shown in 
browns and blacks. 

FOOD 

From the numerous books about farming, 
some examples will illustrate factors to con- 
sider in selection. The provincial atmosphere 
and Ipcar's well-designed double-page murals 
in Ten Big Farms are delightful. Since the 
many activities on one type of farm are 
shown, the children may gain the impression 
that all occur at the same time. For example, 
fruit trees are being sprayed and picked in 
the same scene. Buehr includes the history of 
meat and bread in Meat from Ranch to 
Table and Bread the Staff of Life. Older chil- 
dren will enjoy such interesting anecdotes as 
the story of John Bird who stole dough from 
loaves brought to be baked in his ovens. 
Buehr includes modern machinery and 
clearly explains complex processes. Cotton 
Growing by Harvey and Peter's Sugar Farm 
by Burt are family stories which present 
160 


much information. In each of these books the 
conversation seems natural and illustrations 
or photographs show modern equipment. 
Sometimes an author tries to include too 
much information. For example, in Perhaps 
I'll Be a Farmer, Bethers includes some excel- 
lent information on soil and the nitrogen 
cycle, but other sections dealing with types 
of farms, breeds of cattle and horses, are 
rather vague. Wall uses photographs by 
Towsley to good advantage in Gifts from the 
Grove. Such large, clear photographs seem to 
convey life and meaning to the work por- 
trayed. Food processing is also shown in ex- 
cellent photographs in The Frozen Foods 
Plant by Allee. Although there are many ma- 
chines and conveyors, the reader still recog- 
nizes the important work of human hands 
and eyes. 

CLOTHING 

The Norlings have written and in addition il- 
lustrated an informative series in which a boy 
and his dog, Pogo, learn about many indus- 


Children Seek Inf ormation about People and Places - 161 

tries. Pogo’s Fishing Trip and Pogo's Mining by Hastings, for example, shows only the 

Trip are examples. One of the best of the clothing and toy departments. Children are 

series is Pogo's Lamb which tells how sheep familiar with these sections, but need to real- 

are raised and wool is made into clothing. ize the wide variety of goods sold throughout 

The teacher will want to call attention to such a store. In Let's Go to a Supermarket , 

the end papers which summarize the process Goodspeed gives some additional informa- 

in a flow chart. Similarly, in The Story of tion about storage and preservation of foods. 

Your Coat , Hollos tells the story of wool but more details are included in The First 

from sheep to coat. Machines are clearly pic- Book of Supermarkets by Bendick. Primary 

tured and unions are also discussed. The his- children could get information from the il- 

tory of clothing is presented in cartoon-type lustrations in each, 

drawings in Nothing to Wear but Clothes 

by Jupo. This book could well serve as a other industries 

basis for a mural. The wise use of space and Classroom teachers need to be aware of the 

distinct illustrations of machines are special varied books about unusual industries to 

assets of Nighbert’s The True Book of Cloth. help answer questions that arise, and to en- 

Here, too, is information about synthetic rich social studies activities. The Lollypop 

fibers which can be understood by the second- Factory not only describes the making of 

or third -graders studying clothing. “suckers,” but Elting’s text and Bendick ’s 

In selecting books for use in social studies, large illustrations explain the way pencils, 

the extensiveness of the information included crackers, bottles, and pop are made. Another 

should be considered. The Department Store example of a book about an important, but 


Literature helps children as they study local problems. Columbus, Ohio, public schools. 







162 - Knowing Children's Literature 

seldom studied industry, is Riedman’s Let's 
Take a Trip to a Cement Plant. Excellent 
photographs and interesting text explain 
early uses of stone “glue” as well as modern 
processes. 

Several books about oil would enrich the 
experience of the children who found only 
two paragraphs about this fascinating indus- 
try in their textbook. Buehr gives the his- 
tory of the industry and provides excellent 
diagrams in Oil, Today's Black Magic . Olds 
portrays the excitement attending the cap- 
ping of the first wells at Titusville and Spin- 
dletop through dramatic watercolors in Deep 
Treasure. The teacher could read aloud parts 
of Oilfield Boy by Mauzey and help the chil- 
dren appreciate the beautiful charcoal draw- 
ings. Children in the middle grades will en- 
joy reading the special language of oil men 
in the Norlings' Pogo's Oil Well. 

TRANSPORTATION 

Science and social studies merge as children 
seek information about man’s social processes 
of providing food, clothing, and shelter, 
transporting goods, and communicating his 
ideas. This is particularly true in the areas 
of transportation and communication. In 
What Does a Jet Pilot Do? by Wells, the 
reader learns about pressure suits, jet en- 
gines, and the many workers who help the 
jet pilot fly. This interdependence of work- 
ers is indeed a social concept. Cooke includes 
social problems in How Superhighways Are 
Made. The necessity for planning in terms of 
a traffic survey, the laws involved in buying 
the land, and the interdependence of the 
workers are factors included in this well- 
written book. The machinery used for road 
building is fascinatingl The reader feels the 
power of the big machines pictured on the 
double page spreads in Zaffo’s large book, 
Building Your Super Highways. Conversa- 
tion among the workers building Route 199 
in New York enlivens the story in Construc- 
tion Ahead by Billings. Children who are es- 
pecially interested will be challenged to in- 
terpret the blueprints of the road bed. In 
Who Built the Dam? and Who Built the 


Bridge? Bate personifies the machinery, the 
river, the dam. This technique provides ac- 
tion and drama: 

“I'm trapped,” roared the river. It swirled 
around and around. It flowed over the little coffer- 
dam and smashed against the big dam! 

“I'll grow bigger and bigger,” it boasted. “I’ll 
reach the top of this dam and tear it down.” 7 

Bradley related the work of engineers in 
building the pyramids, the Hanging Gar- 
dens of Babylon, and lighthouses. In Engi- 
neers Did It! he tells the exciting story of 
building the Brooklyn Bridge. Attitudes and 
values are important in this account of an 
amazing feat of engineering. 

Many of the books about trains, trucks, 
and boats can be used by all ages. The teacher 
can point out to the older children the value 
of the picture books. At first glance. Freight 
Trains by Bunce would appear to be a simple 
picture book. Cars at the top of the long 
pages appear to be connected so the reader 
feels the train is rolling by as he turns the 
pages. The text includes many special ab- 
breviations and phrases such as “L.C.L.,” 
meaning less than carload, “consist,” indi- 
cating a long line of cars, “solid” train, mean- 
ing all cars are bound for the same destina- 
tion. The Big Book of Cars by Sutton and 
The Big Book of Real Trucks by Zaffo could 
be enjoyed by children in both primary and 
upper grades. The description of a trucker’s 
day is especially interesting. Younger chil- 
dren will enjoy the fine drawings of the many 
types of trucks, and older boys will be in- 
trigued by such truck talk as “Java Patrol” 
and “reefers.” Interesting, detailed informa- 
tion is included in the text of Lent’s Here 
Come the Trucks, but the illustrations are 
not as clear or helpful as other books avail- 
able. In Trucks and Trucking Buehr shows 
the influence of the development of truck- 
ing upon the food we eat. Middle-grade boys 
will enjoy the slang used in describing the 
driver’s life. Trucks for special purposes such 
as post offices, animal hospitals, and beauty 

7 Norman Bate, Who Built the Damt New York: 
Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1958. Unpaged. 



Children Seek Information about People and Places - 163 


shops are included in The First Book of 
Trucks , by Tatham. When the teacher is fa- 
miliar with such books, he can plan ways of 
extending textbook information with this 
rich content. 

The Little Train by Lenski and A Trip 
on a Train by Greene would appeal mainly 
to younger children. One wishes the author 
had described the noise of the train and the 
difficulty of walking on a train. Burchard's 
illustrations in The Carol Moran really 
make the reader feel he is looking directly 
up at a huge ocean liner from the bow of 
the tug boat. The dignity of work and the 
satisfaction of a routine job well done are 
sensed as the grandfather makes his last trip 
before his retirement. 

The delays and the problems of early rail- 
road building recede as excitement mounts 
in Nathan’s account of The Building of the 
First Transcontinental Railroad. The pacing 
of the writing adds to the feeling that the 
reader is actually operating the telegraph 
key as the golden spike is ready to finally 
join the two sections. Telegraph wires are 
attached to the sledge hammers so the na- 
tion can hear. The reader “listens” intently 
as the operator taps out the messages: 

“All ready now,” went out over the wire. “The 
last spike will soon be driven. The signal will be 
three dots for the commencement of the blow.” 
An instant later, the silver hammers came down. 

“Done!” 

The words flashed out. The last spike, the 
golden spike, had been driven home. 

The country was united from coast to coast by 
an unbroken band of iron rails . 8 

Wouldn’t this scene stimulate dramatization 
of this event in the history of transportation? 

COMMUNICATION 

The community helpers who serve society 
through communication are too frequently 
omitted in studies of the community. Com- 
munication is one of our major industries 
and should also be included in units about 

8 Adele Nathan, The Building of the First Trans- 
continental Railroad. New York: Random House, 
1950. p. 161. 


the city. Children should understand, for ex- 
ample, that production of television pro- 
grams depends upon many workers. This 
concept is clearly demonstrated in The First 
Book of Television by Stoddard and is also 
developed in Linda Goes to the TV Studio 
by Dudley. Despite the impact of television, 
newspapers and magazines are important in 
communication. Authors now familiar in this 
area of children’s literature, the Norlings 
and Henry Lent, have written informative, 
interesting books about newspapers. The ac- 
tion in Lent’s From Trees to Paper adds 
much to its interest. Talks with the woods 
manager, bush pilot, and others who help 
the lumberjack are natural and informa- 
tive. Lent describes a newspaper through 
good close-up photographs and clear text. 
As the reader accompanies the reporter in 
Lent’s I Work on a Newspaper, he also learns 
of the community value of an alert press. 

A few books describe the function of the 
library in a community. Let's Go to the Li- 
brary by Buchheimer gives little information 
beyond that which children already possess. 
How much better to go and visit a library! 
Here Comes the Bookmobile by Gringhuis 
will extend understanding of another com- 
munity service. 

CONSERVATION 

Conservation, too, blends the concepts of 
science and social studies. Another of Ger- 
trude Wall's excellent books with outstand- 
ing photography by Towsley is Gifts from 
the Forest. One can almost hear the crack 
of the tree as it falls. Modern tree farming 
described in this book illustrates the concept 
of wise use of resources. Blough’s Lookout 
for the Forest provides action and informa- 
tion about ways of preventing and controlling 
forest fires. The relationship to soil erosion is 
depicted in this story pleasingly illustrated 
with greens, yellows, and browns. LaFarge 
has written a very interesting story of an ir- 
rigation ditch in New Mexico, The Mother 
Ditch. After tracing the early plans for irri- 
gation, the author shows how the ditch helps 
the Romero family. The need for conserva- 



164 - Knowing Children's Literature 

tion of trees is emphasized by Webber in 
Thanks to Trees: The Story of Their Use 
and Conservation. 

MONEY 

Children are interested in money and sys- 
tems of exchange. Let's Go to a Bank by 
Sootin provides many details about deposits, 
mortgages, and the work of the Federal Re- 
serve Bank. Pictures of the coin machine and 
vault are helpful. This would be a good 
book to use before or following a trip to the 
local bank. Following the pattern of his 
series, Buehr writes of early forms of barter 
and money in Treasure, The Story of Money 
and Its Safeguarding. His interesting idea is 
that business and banking records are truly 
treasures of today. Older pupils will find 
Wall Street, The Story of the Stock Exchange 
provides a good understanding of complex 
processes. Using an example of a lemonade 
stand. Sterling makes the idea of stocks, 
bonds, interest, and dividends meaningful 
to boys and girls. Economic concepts are also 
developed in books about industries, trans- 
portation, and communication. 

GOVERNMENT 

In all ages, in primitive cultures and in mod- 
ern, complex societies men have established 
ways of governing themselves. The biogra- 
phies of leaders who helped found the sys- 
tem for the United States will help children 
appreciate the guarantees of freedom and the 
machinery of government. These will be dis- 
cussed in Chapter Six. Several books pro- 
vide information about governmental agen- 
cies and processes. The very simple form of 
government by town meeting is described in 
Turner’s delightfully illustrated book, Town 
Meeting Means Me. The duties of each 
elected or appointed leader are clearly de- 
fined. In Let's Go to a City Hall Wolfe tells 
children about council meetings, the work 
of a city manager, and various departments 
of municipal government. This would be an 
excellent book for children to use as they 
compare the general description with their 
own first-hand exploration of their commu- 


nity government. They might write “Our 
visit to City Hall” in similar fashion. 

You and the Constitution of the United 
States by Witty and Kohler presents a re- 
written Constitution with explanatory car- 
toons. The complete text of the document 
is also included. The comparison of Amer- 
ica to a train seems somewhat confusing to 
middle-grade children. A vicarious trip to 
the seat of our federal government is pro- 
vided in Holisher’s Capitol Hill. This book 
of photographs includes the workers behind 
the scenes. Let's Go to the White House and 
Let's Go to the Capitol by Rosenfeld also 
show details of government buildings. One 
view in the latter book gives the reader the 
feeling he is on an upper balcony looking 
down into the Great Rotunda. Unless a chiJd 
was going to Washington or had recently 
been there, the teacher may find little inter- 
est in so many details of buildings. T he First 
Book of the Supreme Court and The First 
Book of Congress by Coy present words from 
a special vocabulary in heavy print. At the 
end of the book about Congress, there is a 
list of words, “Congress Talk and What It 
Means.” Suggestions for pupils to know their 
congressmen are practical. Also, the book 
about the Supreme Court opens with a case 
children could understand. These two books 
contribute much to the middle- and upper- 
grade child’s understanding of the machinery 
of government. 

The teacher of older children also needs 
material to help them understand other 
forms of government. A chapter, “What is 
Communism?” in Wagner and Green’s Put 
Democracy to Work makes clear the major 
points of the Communist Manifesto. The 
early communal living of the Pilgrims and 
the Amana colonies in Iowa are contrasted 
with this modern system. Rights and free- 
doms guaranteed by the constitution are il- 
lustrated in Fisher’s interesting drawings for 
You and Democracy by Gordon. The word 
You is consistently printed in upper case, 
suggesting the responsibilities of children 
who will become tomorrow’s leaders. 

Many books about the armed services and 



Children Seek Information about People and Places - 165 


the FBI interest older children. The work of 
federal investigators is explained by Bon- 
ner’s The Real Book About Crime Detec- 
tion . The idea that criminals are not brave 
is developed in several of these books. In The 
Story of the Secret Service Kuhn includes the 
story of a school boy who wrote a threaten- 
ing letter to the president. The methods used 
to locate the sender are of interest, but also, 
the danger involved in such action is made 
clear. The code of the service is emphasized 
in Our FBI, by Floherty. Books about the 
armed forces interest upper-grade boys, but 
the teacher needs to be aware of treatment 
of this informational material. The horror 
and grimness of war seems overemphasized 
in Hunt’s The Story of the U. S. Marines: 

A grenade struck him in the stomach and ex- 
ploded, but not before he had emptied his “burp” 
gun into the face of one of the marines. 9 

In The Real Book About Our Armed Forces 
raids and battles are described by Knight; 
men die and are injured, but the young 
reader is spared the shattering realism of 
war. If movies and televison are supple- 
mented with literature in which children 
continually live with violence, does this not 
encourage an acceptance of brutality and 
suggest to young minds that it is the only 
way in which man wins glory? 

Other government services include those 
community helpers, the policemen and the 
firemen, so frequently a part of the second- 
grade social-studies curriculum. Examples of 
publishers series indicate some of the factors 
the teacher should consider. The Heath 
series. It's Fun to Find Out, are film-story 
books related to Encyclopaedia Britannica 
films. Captions in manuscript writing pro- 
vide easy reading. Pictures in The Fireman 
seem somewhat blurred, but the child learns 
of the fireman’s job. The Whitman series by 
Barr includes Policeman Paul, Mr, Mailman, 
and Fireman Fred, It seems there is really 
little more information here than the chil- 
dren already have obtained through experi- 

* George P. Hunt, The Story of the U. S. Marines. 
New York: Random House, 1951. p. 9. 


ence. The contrived scenes in which the po- 
liceman helps at a candy factory fire and 
catches a robber at a toy factory are prob- 
ably meant to relate to children’s interests. 
However, when children seek information, 
these contrived incidents get in the way. The 
teacher will want to consider books in terms 
of extension of information. Through the 
clear photographs in Colby’s Smoke Eaters, 
the child can learn about equipment and 
tools used by firemen. The text is more diffi- 
cult, but will be of interest to those children 
in primary grades really seeking “meat” in 
their reading diet. One of the Putnam’s Let's 
Take a Trip series, Let's Take a Trip to A 
Fire House gives interesting information. 
Buchheimer includes a helpful glossary in 
this book. lohnny Wants to Be a Policeman 
by Granberg is an example of a book filled 
with facts about the different tasks of the 
policeman. Here is a book which could well 
be used with older children reading at pri- 
mary level. 

Man has steadily moved toward larger 
units of organization for dealing with prob- 
lems of living together. Understanding the 
structure of the United Nations can support 
understandings of people living on this 
planet. Attitudes toward the UN were em- 
phasized in one of the early books by Fisher, 
You and the United Nations. Cartoons and 
captions in this book oversimplified the large 
concepts. In addition, little information was 
included. The story of the development of 
the United Nations is told in Galt’s How the 
United Nations Works. Suggestions for writ- 
ing letters to the Secretary-General make it 
useful for groups seeking recent informa- 
tion. Based upon a filmstrip of the same title, 
A Garden We Planted Together, was written 
by the UN Department of Public Informa- 
tion. Children from many lands write out a 
plan for their garden. As problems arise, 
they look at the rule book, or charter, to find 
ways of solving the problem. Munro Leaf’s 
inimitable cartoons enliven Three Promises 
to You. All age groups can enjoy the pictorial 
representation of those three promises; to try 
not to have war, to treat all nations fairly, 



166 - Knowing Children* s Literature 

and to help each other. Young readers could 
take a tour through the United Nations 
building in Cochrane’s Let's Go to the United 
Nations Headquarters. They would learn 
much about the architectural details of the 
building but little of work actually accom- 
plished there. 

The work of UNICEF is presented in a 
very clear and interesting way as an Amer- 
ican boy travels in Yates’ Rainboiu Round 
the World. He learns about ways of combat- 
ing ignorance, poverty, and illness. There are 
adventures, too, as when a machete whizzes 
through the jungle over his head. John is 
saved from a sloth and makes another friend 
in Nicaragua. Each chapter is a complete in- 
cident and could be read during the UNICEF 
fund drive in which children often partici- 
pate. Such a book would make the Halloween 
tricks or treats for UNICEF truly mean- 
ingful. 

Older boys and girls would gain much from 
reading and discussing A Fair World for All. 
Dorothy Canfield Fisher explains each ar- 
ticle of the Declaration of Human Rights 
through an everyday situation. Article 10 re- 
fers to “full equality” and “fair and public 
hearing by an independent and impartial 
tribunal.” Such phrases remain “gobble-de- 
gook” unless dramatized in meaningful sit- 
uations. The author describes a situation in 
which a big boy practicing with a ball inad- 
vertently hits a small child who suddenly 
raced in front of him. The necessity for col- 
lecting evidence and presenting it to some- 
one who was not emotionally involved is 
made clear. This book could well be used in 
studying great documents that are part of 
our heritage. 

OTHER SOCIAL PROCESSES 

Through a planned program of social edu- 
cation, boys and girls gain understanding of 
the additional social processes involved in 
religion, recreation, and esthetic apprecia- 
tion. Books about sports, hobbies and crafts, 
music, art, and religion will be described in 
Chapter 10. Chapter 7 discusses books which 
will help children understand themselves 


and others. Concepts of man’s social proc- 
esses are developed in almost every type of 
literature. Homes are built in historical fic- 
tion, government is often described in bi- 
ography, other times and places take on 
meaning through stories. As books are dis- 
cussed, the teacher will seize opportunities 
to utilize these concepts in social studies 
classes. 

People in the United States 

Children learn about the United States as 
they gain understanding of man’s social proc- 
esses in the home, community, and region. 
Numerous factual trade books, regional fic- 
tion, and stories of modern life contribute 
to development of generalizations about peo- 
ple in this country. Literature related to the 
historical heritage is reviewed in Chapter 6. 
When children identify problems and seek 
answers to questions about the United States, 
its regions, or cities they need a wide variety 
of books. The following examples of series, 
factual, and fictional books illustrate types 
of literature which are available. Lois Lenski 
set forth the purpose of this literature in a 
foreword to the Roundabout America series: 

Come, let us look at the ways of life in our 
country. Let us go into the out-of-the-way corners, 
up on the hills and down in the valleys, into city 
streets and \illage homes. Let us see and get to 
know the people. 10 

SERIES BOOKS 

Both geography and history are included in 
the series of regional books illustrated with 
beautiful lithographs by DeWitt. The Story 
of New England begins with the Revolution 
and continues with the development of the 
whaling industry, fishing, maple sugar, and 
stone quarries. The relationship of soil, 
water, and climate to the type of crops raised 
is shown in McClintock’s interesting text. 
In another example, The Story of Florida, 
DeWitt has illustrated a book about one 
state. His pictures, which contrast the bril- 
liant color and movement of the hurricane 

1H Lois Lenski, We Live in the City. Philadelphia: 
J. B. Lippi ncott Co., 1954. Foreword. 



Children Seek Information about People and Places - 167 


with the calm, green quiet of the Everglades, 
help children realize the differences in 
weather and its effect upon man’s activities. 
Although now an older series, these books 
are still very useful in teaching about the 
United States. 

The Picture Book series of various states, 
published by Whitman and authored by Bai- 
ley, includes historical facts as well as infor- 


mation about cities, crops, and industries. 
The use of natural resources is stressed in 
this series which is written in a rather terse, 
dry style. Frequently teachers ask children to 
make reports about various states. If a child 
uses only these books, he is limited to facts 
about products and names of cities, but gains 
little understanding of people. 

Putnams regional series, Men at Work, 


Covers from the DeWitt series of regional books. Harper. 




168 - Knowing Children's Literature 

is written in a very interesting manner. The 
title, “How Many Cans Can a Canner Can?” 
in Men at Work on the West Coast would 
intrigue children. Lent portrays facts graph- 
ically, as in (< Salad Bowl, U.S.A.”: 

If you had a giant market basket and wanted to 
fill it with a year's supply of vegetables, fruit, and 
berries grown in these three states, here are some 
of the things that would go into it 

For you'd start out by spending 26 million dol- 
lars for 17,000 carloads of firm, sweet melons and 
cantaloupes grown in California. . . . n 

Unusual industries such as an ant farm 
company are also described. Italics are used 
generously to give emphasis to words and to 
call attention to new words. The teacher 
should point this out to the children by writ- 
ing an example on the chalkboard and direct- 
ing attention to the italics. “If this sample 
spoon looks as beautiful as it did in the draw- 
ing, the designer gives the drawing to an- 
other man who is known as a modeler. In- 
stead of drawing the design of the spoon, he 
models it in wax.” 12 The reader wishes more 
illustrations or photographs could have been 
included to aid in visualizing some of the 
manufacturing processes described in this 
fine series. 

Lenski's stories in the Roundabout Amer- 
ica series serve well the purpose of getting to 
know people. In We Live in the City, she in- 
cludes stories titled “Newsboy Mike,” “Pent- 
house Girl,” and “Shoeshine Boy.” In these 
stories, there is no pity or envy — just recog- 
nition of different ways of living. Pictures 
show a crowded tenement and words convey 
to rural children the noise of the city: 

Children were playing. Babies in buggies were 
crying. Hanging street signs flapped in the wind. 
Trains on the Grove Street El roared by over- 
head. A radio in the fish store played loud music. 
Women leaned out of windows above. They 
called to children in the street. 13 

11 Henry B. Lent, Men At Work on the West Coast. 
New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1959. p. 89. 

“Henry B. Lent, Men at Work in New England. 
New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1956. p. 75. 

“Lenski, op cit. t p. 99. 


In We Live By the River, Lenski introduces 
boys and girls to families who live near the 
Louisiana locks of the Mississippi, on an 
island between Arkansas and Tennessee, and 
on a bank of the Ohio River between Illinois 
and Kentucky. Another of the series, Little 
Sioux Girl describes reservation life of 1950. 
The mingling of old and new, and the need 
for better schools and more adequate medical 
care is made clear in this story of an Indian 
girl who faced prejudice, yet found pride in 
her heritage. 

All Around the Land by Saxon is a collec- 
tion of stories about children in unusual com- 
munities in the United States. The reader 
learns of Vermont maple sugar, tulip time in 
Holland, Michigan, a cheese factory in Wis- 
consin, and a Portuguese fishing colony in 
California. The attempt to build understand- 
ing of other cultures is not quite realized be- 
cause the characters seem unreal, the endings 
too pat. 

New England by Coffin, The Northeast 
and The Midwest by Havighurst, are three of 
the titles in the Fideler Company Life in 
America series. Excellent photographs show 
people at work on farms, in mines and in fac- 
tories. Picture maps show products and activi- 
ties in each state. 

Garden City books publish a series under 

the title, “The Story of .” McCracken’s 

The Story of Alaska provides a good history 
of the forty-ninth state. The Story of Illinois 
by Hansen emphasizes history more than cur- 
rent activities in the state. The sections on 
Lincoln contain material which has been bet- 
ter written in other books. Maps are needed 
for these books. 

Three books illustrate the response to 
needed information about the newest states, 
Alaska and Hawaii. In Alaska, the Forty- 
Ninth State Lindquist describes changes in 
recent years. Life on the homestead, bush 
pilots, the sea otter are among the interest- 
ing topics in this well-written book. Bauer’s 
beautiful book, Hawaii, the Aloha State, is 
profusely illustrated with excellent photo- 
graphs. The history of the islands precedes 
a descriptive journey to each island. A pro- 



Children Seek Information about People and Places - 169 


nouncing vocabulary will be very useful. 
Children will enjoy reading about the holi- 
days and festivals. Based on a true story of 
the 1926 contest for a design of the Alaskan 
flag, Benny's Flag by Krasilovsky tells how 
an Indian orphan used the blue of the forget- 
me-not, the North Star for position, and the 
Big Dipper for strength. The illustrations give 
very good information about the country. 

City life is contrasted with a rural area in 
City Boy, Country Boy by Schlein. Unfortu- 
nately, we get no impression of work being 
done in the country, while people in the city 
are very busy. Another book, Tensen’s Come 
to the City, describes such helpers as the li- 
brarian, zookeeper, mailman, and bus driver. 
The primary child will enjoy the riddles at 
the end of the book and may be stimulated 
to write some of his own. The sociological 
zones of a city are explained by the Peatties 
in The City. The idea that a city provides 
more opportunities to choose work and play 
is emphasized here. 

REGIONAL FICTION 

When an individual experiences life only 
in a particular city, in a suburb, on a farm, 
or in one region, it is difficult to envision the 
problems, the joys, or the needs of those who 
have different backgrounds. Too frequently, 
children study the United States, but learn 
only about the geographic features, the re- 
sources and industries of a state or region. 
The informational books reviewed above 
should be supplemented by fiction which can 
enrich the understanding of our land and its 
people. Additional books to help children 
understand people of different racial and re- 
ligious groups are reviewed in Chapter 7. 

Mountain regions have isolated groups of 
Americans. As these people migrate to cities 
their background needs to be understood. 
Although he describes a somewhat earlier 
period, Jesse Stuart captures some of the feel- 
ing of mountain life in his story of an or- 
phan, The Beatinest Boy . Eking out a living 
through farming and hunting is arduous 
work. A wonderful relationship exists be- 
tween the boy and his grandmother. Chil- 


dren should be guided in appreciating the 
flavor of the colloquial language in this story. 

Can the modem suburban child under- 
stand that some children might not have 
shoes? Can he identify with the children in 
Down, Down the Mountain? We do not 
know, but this story by Credle affords an op- 
portunity to understand the children of a 
mountain region. Similar to folk tales, right- 
eousness is rewarded when the children's re- 
maining turnip receives a prize which can 
be used to buy shoes. There is another les- 
son here in economics. Would five dollars 
today buy two pairs of shoes as in this story? 

Life among oyster farmers along the south- 
ern coast is portrayed by Baldwin in The 
Hermit of Crab Island. Basically, this is the 
story of a lonely boy who tries to find friends 
in town. Developmental tasks of pre-teens are 
illustrated clearly as the boy gains skill in 
handling the boat, joins the men in drinking 
coffee, and bravely goes to find the old hermit 
during a hurricane. 

Sugar Bush by Dana is another book which 
gives information about a special industry, 
the production of maple sugar. When the 
Kolochecks move to Vermont they are 
warmly accepted by the neighbors on Meet- 
ing House Hill. Is the reticence of Vermont 
folk, their slowness in accepting newcomers, 
also a stereotype which is overcome in this 
book? The community project of improving 
the old meeting house reflects a cooperative 
spirit. The warmth of the Allans' friendship 
toward their Polish neighbors radiates as the 
families gather around the old iron stove 
and share the problems of making sugar. 

The sights and smells of a crowded New 
York tenement are re-created in Lewiton's 
story of Rachel. Rachel and Herman contin- 
ues the story as the family moves “uptown." 
Adjustment to another neighborhood is made 
easier by the warm family relationships. Al- 
though these children grew up twenty years 
ago, there is a good description of crowded 
life in the city. 

The best-known author of regional stories 
for children is Lois Lenski. This author cre- 
ates stories by going to an area and living 



170 - Knowing Children’s Literature 

with the people. As she talks with adults and 
children, she gathers anecdotes which can be 
drawn into a book. Strawberry Girl, Corn 
Farm Boy, Cotton in My Sack are some of 
her titles. Texas Tomboy is about a young 
girl who wants to become a ranchwoman. 
Riding over the plains with her father, 
“Charlie Boy” learns the lore of ranching. 
Strong and fearless, her imagination and en- 
ergy sometimes cause problems. Charlie Boy 
is often thoughtless, sometimes cruel, and 
frequently disobedient. The child who reads 
this book learns about problems of ranch life; 
he also gains insight into the conflicting de- 
mands of society and the individual, as a lit- 
tle girl rebels against her expected sex role. 
In Prairie School Lenski has written a mod- 
ern story of prairie life. The trials of life on 
a snowbound prairie of North Dakota are 
arduous. Miss Lenski realistically portrays 


the snowbound days in the school, the dra- 
matic episode when the teacher takes Dolores 
through the storm for an appendectomy, and 
the hay drop by helicoper to save the cattle. 
These books are distinctive additions to the 
literature for children. Using the slang and 
colloquialisms of the local region, Lenski 
shows the richness of language in its diverse 
forms. Parts of these books should be read 
aloud to motivate children’s interest and to 
explain the author’s purpose in writing as 
the people actually speak. 

People in Other Lands 

In ever-widening circles the child expands 
his interest in people beyond his immediate 
environment. First-hand contacts with peo- 
ple of mother lands will contribute much to 
his understanding and to the development 
of favorable attitudes. Books can help boys 


An interesting display may initiate a study of other lands. Arranged by Barbara Fried- 
berg, Ohio State University. 



Children Seek Information about People and Places - 171 


and girls project themselves into other cul- 
tures and visualize other lands. Books in- 
tended primarily to present facts and books 
of fiction are included in the literature to 
help children understand people in other 
lands. 

ALL MEN ARE BROTHERS 

The idea expressed in Robert Louis Steven- 
son's poem emphasizes differences rather than 
likenesses among people. Experiences planned 
for elementary school children should miti- 
gate against development of this attitude of 
superiority: 

Little Indian, Sioux or Crow 

Little Frosty Eskimo 

Little Turk or Japanese 

Oh! don’t you wish that you were me? 

You have curious things to eat, 

I am fed on proper meat; 

You must dwell beyond the foam 
But I am safe and live at home . 14 

Children should understand there are differ- 
ences in ways of eating, working, playing, and 
living together, but one is no more “proper” 
than another. Children’s literature can as- 
sist in development of the concept of the 
brotherhood of man. 

Books about the development of early man 
may serve to emphasize common needs. In 
The Stoy 7 of People, May Edel shows that 
all ways are human. She includes much in- 
formation about Eskimo life as she develops 
two major ideas: 

.... the way man gets his living sets the stage 
for much of his social living. 

The size of settlements, the nearness of neigh- 
bors, may all depend on how much food is avail- 
able and how well men handle the task of getting 
it ! 18 

An unusual bibliography for children is in- 
cluded in this well-written book. 

Eva Knox Evans has contributed several 

14 Robert Louis Stevenson, “Foreign Children” from 
A Child's Garden of Verses. New York: Charles Scrib- 
ner’s Sons, 1905. p. 33. 

“May Edel, The Story of People. Boston: Little 
Brown, & Company, 1953. pp. 64, 68. 


books which develop understanding of Hu- 
man behavior in different cultures. In Peo- 
ple Are Important she writes: 

Now, sometimes we feel that the people who 
look and act and talk different aren’t as impor- 
tant as we are. Some of us may even feel that 
what happens to them doesn’t matter at all. . . . 
almost all of us are frightened of people we don’t 
understand . 18 

This author discusses differences in talk, man- 
ners, and food, yet asks, “Aren’t we lucky to 
be people?” Similarly, Evans writes of like- 
nesses of humans in All About Us. Facts about 
blood and ability to learn are included. 
Amusing but clearly pointed explanations of 
differences in customs, such as fighting, are 
presented. 

Margaret Mead has written an interesting 
book about anthropology for young readers. 
People and Places. This beautifully bound 
and printed book emphasizes the theme, 
“Man As a Being.” The well-known scien- 
tist tells how an anthropologist works. She 
describes human behavior in four cultures: 
the Eskimos, Ashanti of West Africa, plains 
Indians, and the Balinese. An excellent bib- 
liography is included. The Weisgard illus- 
trations contribute beauty to the book by 
Ames and Wyler, The First People of the 
World. The development of one-celled life, 
prehistoric creatures, the ape family, and 
early man is clearly presented. In using this 
book the teacher will need to be aware of 
community beliefs and should stress the pres- 
entation as theory. 

An adult book of beautiful photographs. 
The Family of Man, is available in a paper- 
back edition which would be suitable for ele- 
mentary schools. Through these outstanding 
photographs Steichen shows the common ele- 
ments of love, laughter, sorrow, work, and 
play. For children, the Silver Burdett series 
of books titled Fun Around the World, 
Homes Around the World, and Schools 
Around the World presents similarities in 
human life. 

“Eva Knox Evans, People Are Important. New 
York: Capitol Publishing Company, 1957. p. 5, 8. 



172 - Knowing Children’s Literature 



Pride in shoes is the same in 
any language. The sensitive 
story of a little Japanese girl 
and her red clogs gives infor- 
mation and illustrates good fam- 
ily relationships. From A Pair 
of Red Clogs by Masako Mat- 
suno. Illustrated by Kazue Miza- 
mura. World, 1960. 


SERIES BOORS ABOUT OTHER LANDS 

Beginning with the Rollo series and the Lucy 
Fitch Perkins* “Twin** books, numerous se- 
ries books about other lands have appeared 
on the bookshelves. In some publisher’s se- 
ries, the same author writes all of the books; 
in other series, only the title and format are 
similar. The teacher will need to become fa- 
miliar with several of the books in each series, 
and to evaluate their usefulness in terms of 
the needs of the class. 

The foreword of one of the Young Trav- 
eler series reminds the reader of the impor- 
tance of travel literature; 

There was a time when only the rich could 
travel, and only the explorers could go to distant 
places. But now, the hope of travel is within the 
reach of everyone, and the far places are distant 
from us, not by the space of months of travel 
time, but the space of a handful of hours. Even if 
you yourself are a stay-at-home, you must be pre- 


pared to meet people from far places, for with 
travel as easy of accomplishment as it is, who 
knows what stranger may come aknocking at your 
door, from France or Spain or Trinidad. How 
will you greet him if you know no more of the 
world than your own front yard? 17 

The Young Traveler series was an English se 
ries “Americanized” for children in this coun 
try. Published by Dutton, these books follow 
the theme of a boy and girl visiting relatives 
or friends in another country. The hosts anc 
hostesses take the young Americans to places 
of interest and share their festivals and holi 
day fun at home. Photographs are included 
but are not placed near explanatory text. A: 
the American travelers learn the language o 
their hosts, the reader will also try to sa^ 
the phrases of welcome, thanks, and name 

17 Frances Clarke Sayers, editor, American edition 
George L. Proctor, The Young Traveler in Sweden 
New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1953. p. 5. 



Children Seek Inf ormation about People and Places - 173 


of meals, holidays, and so on. In some of the 
books of the series, there is humor and some 
excitement in getting lost while exploring 
cities alone. Always there is interesting, 
youthful commentary upon the places and 
people the travelers see. 

Caldwell is the author of several books in 
the Let's Visit series published by John Day. 
There is less attention to geography in this 
series, but the presentation of current prob- 
lems and changing social patterns is clear 
and interesting. For example, in Let's Visit 
the Middle East, the problems of the Suez 
canal, the Gaza strip, and the Arab-Israel 
conflict are presented without bias, in terms 
meaningful to sixth graders. The changes in 
Africa, the contrasts of the primitive and the 
modern cities are clearly shown in photo- 
graphs and text in Let’s Visit Middle Africa. 

There is greater emphasis upon people and 
their customs in the Getting to Know series 
published by Coward-McCann. Different au- 
thors have prepared the books in this series. 
The middle-grade reader will identify with 
children in the other lands as he reads, “Both 
boys and girls in Turkey love American 
movies, especially Westerns. You will see 
them reading comics, too .” 18 Schools, food, 
homes, games, holidays, and music are in- 
cluded as well as industries, resources, and 
major cities. One can almost feel the “. . . 
bright sun glowing on dirt streets. . . .” 19 as 
he learns to shake hands in the Liberian fash- 
ion. The reader wishes the slight sketches 
gave more detail to implement the crisp style 
of writing which is conversational but not 
didactic. 

In the Around the World Today series 
published by Watts, the outstanding photog- 
raphy provides information about the life of 
one child. In Jan of Holland by Buckley, the 
fishing school is fascinating. These Dutch boys 
learn to face problems by solving them vi- 
cariously in the classroom. There is some plot 
development as Jan demonstrates courage in 

18 Fanny Davis, Getting to Know Turkey. New 
York: Coward-McCann, 1957. p. 39. 

19 Albert Craz, Getting to Know Liberia. New York: 
Coward-McCann, Inc., 1958. p. 28. 


deciding to become a farmer despite the fam- 
ily tradition of fishing. Such real life stories 
not only give facts; they help build under- 
standing of others. 

An older series published by the Fideler 
Company is the Let's Read About series. The 
strength of this series lies in its excellent 
photographs included on almost every page. 
Many are full-page or half-page photos which 
contrast the old and the new ways of living. 
In Raman’s book about India, the photo- 
graphic portraits of different people are out- 
standing. Some of the books. Let's Read 
About Hawaiian Islands by Fergusson and 
Let's Read About South America by Goetz, 
for example, have an adequate glossary and 
index; however, maps are needed to help the 
reader relate photographs to the total area. 

Holiday published a series of small books 
about other countries in the late forties and 
early fifties. These are mainly historical ac- 
counts. The book, Germany, by Berner em- 
phasizes the continuing changes of govern- 
ments and the attempts at unification. The 
delicate sketches convey little information. 
The author of the book, France, avoids the 
danger of stereotypes: “To say, for instance, 
‘The French are an excitable race' becomes 
but a silly generalization, once we live among 
the French and find among them so much 
rule of reason, so much logic, moderation, 
symmetry, and order. There are many kinds 
of Frenchmen, just as there are many kinds 
of Americans .” 20 

The McKay Picture Story series presents 
information in an interesting style. Differ- 
ent authors and illustrators describe daily 
life in countries, as in Picture Story of Hol- 
land by Dejong, or of regions, as in Picture 
Story of the Middle East by Nevil. Books in 
the series vary considerably. For example, 
there is no glossary or index in Picture Story 
of Noway by O’Neill, while the more recent 
Picture Story of the Middle East has a good 
glossary and map. In this series, there is more 
information about the daily life of the peo- 
ple than the industries. In the Picture Story 

20 Robert Davis, France. New York: Holiday House, 
1947. p. 19. 



174 - Knowing Children's Literature 

of Norway, some information is not ex- 
plained adequately. In the description of the 
whaling industry, the fact that insulin is ob- 
tained from the pancreas of the whale is in- 
cluded. How is insulin used? What is its 
value? The reader receives little meaning 
from this bit of information unless he is chal- 
lenged to look in other references. Again, 
there is a comment about cellulose manufac- 
turing plants, but the reader does not learn 
how cellulose is used. Unrelated facts need 
clarification. 

A series based upon photographs and told 
in the first person is the My Village series 
by the Gidals (Pantheon) . Almost all of the 
photographs include people. The pictures are 
beautifully composed, in sharp focus, and il- 
lustrate aspects of village life. In My Village 
in India, Dhan, son of a farmer, describes 
daily activities such as getting water, making 
ghee (boiled butter) , and going to school. 
The health lesson exemplifies the importance 
of teaching a backward people sanitation and 
health. In My Village in Austria, the photo- 
graphs are especially warm and friendly. The 
family humor adds interest to the descrip- 
tion of life on the farm. To emphasize the 
geographic factors, the teacher will need to 
discuss the pictures with the children, relate 
these pictures to a map showing mountains 
and valleys of the region, and help the chil- 
dren compare this region with their own 
land. These books do not try to include his- 
tory, government, city life, artists, and the 
rest. As the title implies, they tell only about 
village life; children will enjoy the text and 
the photographs as they gain information 
about small villages in these lands. 

Family life is also emphasized in the Beck- 
ley-Cardy series appearing with such titles as 
Kish of India, Forests and Fiords, and Tem- 
ple Town of Tokyo . There is a thin plot, but 
too many contrived scenes are added to in- 
clude more information. The Danish chil- 
dren in Forests and Fiords seem unreal and 
quite “priggish” in such passages as this, fol- 
lowing a family trip to Norway: 

"You have a new feeling for your own country," 
he said. “We have some ways of doing things that 


are a little different from those anywhere else. 
There isn’t any right or wrong, but to us the 
Danish way seems best." 

Lise continued, "There are so many things that 
we’ve always taken for granted and that now seem 
quite wonderful." 21 

Changes from old ways to modern customs 
are shown in Temple Town to Tokyo by 
Comfort. A Japanese family in a small town 
moves to the city where dress, food prepara- 
tion, and customs differ. The mother’s shop- 
ping tour and her decision to buy a Western 
dress and to have a Western hair style will 
help children realize the difficulties of ad- 
justing to new ways. In Kish of India, Com- 
fort has written of the effect of caste and the 
importance of its elimination in the social 
structure. The meaning of Gandhi’s passive 
resistance is applied in the life of the boy who 
was tempted to fight at the water well. The 
changing relationship of the governing maha- 
raja from overlord to representative of the 
people in the new government is presented 
clearly for the middle-grade reader. 

The First Book series also includes books 
about other lands. Published by Franklin 
Watts, these books use different styles of 
writing according to the author. Mears tells 
about Japan as she describes the family life 
of Ichiro and Toshiko. In the First Book of 
India, Hahn describes the life of Arun, a boy 
who goes with his farm family to the other 
regions of India. Lobsenz gives information 
in essay form in The First Book of West Ger- 
many. The illustrations in The First Book 
of India seem too stark and primitive; they 
do not add to the information of the text or 
help build concepts. Also, the sketches in 
The First Book of West Germany add little 
to the text. However, children would enjoy 
trying the German words and phrases with 
simplified pronunciation guides. 

O'Donnell wrote a series of books about 
life of children in other lands based upon 
Encyclopaedia Britannica Filmstrips. Pub- 
lished by Row, Petersen, this series uses a 
simple text closely related to the filmstrip. 
This series provides some good information, 

* Bernadine Bailey, Forests and Fiords. Chicago: 
Beckley-Cardy, 1952. p. 133. 



Children Seek Information about People and Places - 175 


but needs to be revised to present contempo- 
rary life. 

The Picture Map series written by Quinn 
and published by Lippincott, presents maps 
of sections of the continent being described. 
Small figures represent products of the re- 
gion, plants, and animals. The Picture Map 
Geography of Africa does not show the mod- 
ernization of parts of this country, however. 
The rather pedestrian style of writing limits 
the interest in the series and the small fig- 
ures, as in Picture Map Geography of Can- 
ada, are difficult to distinguish. 

Another series by Knopf emphasizes the 
arts and crafts of various countries. This 
series includes Made in Italy by Toor, Made 
in Mexico by Ross, Made in Iceland by Gol- 
den, Made in India by Spencer, Made in Po- 
land by Jarecka. Some of the less well-known 
countries and their products are described. 
By reading Made in Iceland, the upper-grade 
reader could compare the story of pioneer 
life in Iceland to that of the United States. 

Silver Burdett has presented a series of 
books which relate child life in America to 
activities of boys and girls in other lands. In 
Pets Around the World, Homes Around the 
World, and Work Around the World, Jack- 
son shows likenesses and differences in activi- 
ties of human life through excellent full-page 
photographs and easy text. Fun Around the 
World by Scarry shows children having fun 
in different countries. Ring-around-a-Rosy is 
pictured as Greek children and Eskimo chil- 
dren play this familiar game. Identity with 
others is realized as the reader laughs with 
the children wearing funny masks: 

And when they laugh they sound like you, 
and all children, near and far. 

A laugh sounds the same 
anywhere in the world. 

It’s the magic and happy sound 
that goes with having fun! 22 

Teachers will find the suggestions for related 
activities very helpful in extending concepts 

** Patsy Scarry, Fun Around the World. Morristown, 
New Jersey: Silver Burdett Company, 1957. p. 88. 


of this series titled, The World Children Live 
In. 

Lippincott’s Portraits of the Nations series 
is one of the more recent additions to the lit- 
erature in this area. Each book has been writ- 
ten by a different author under the title, 
“Land and People of . . .** The series includes 
Turkey, South Africa, Greece, India, and 
Pakistan. Black and white photographs are 
placed in a signature in the center of the 
book. Thus, all pictures are presented in one 
section and are completely separate from 
context. In general, the views are formal 
scenes of buildings, ports, and fields. Few 
close-ups of the people at work or in their 
homes are included. Each page is filled; there 
is little white space to rest the eye. The 
reader takes a walking tour through cities 
and provinces, but the hiking is slow because 
of the weight of details. The information in 
the book on Pakistan by Feldman is authentic, 
but a human quality is lacking in the lecture. 
Historical backgrounds are emphasized in 
most of the books of this series. Many phrases 
have not been explained for the child reader. 
For example, in Land and People of Ger- 
many Wohlrabe and Krusch write, “A papal 
bull was issued branding the monk a heretic/* 
There is no further explanation about papal 
bulls or what it meant to be a heretic. It is 
important to help children extend their vo- 
cabularies, but the inclusion of too many 
difficult words can only prevent further read- 
ing by the average child. In writing about 
Turkey, Spencer made a number of broad 
generalizations about people such as, “Turks 
are hospitable, independent-minded, reserved 
and unemotional in public (except when 
greeting relatives and close friends) . Turkish 
honesty toward visitors is outstanding. . . .*' 28 
On the other hand, Paton, writing in Land 
and People of South Africa, points out his 
own bias, “Before I do this [answer questions] 
let me remind you that I have a strong point 
of view of my own; therefore, you must ex- 
amine closely all I am going to say.** 24 These 

“William Spencer, Land and People of Turkey. 
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1958. p. 88. 

“Alan Paton, Land and People of South Africa. 
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1955. p. 129. 



176 - Knowing Children’ s Literature 

examples indicate the importance of the 
teacher’s familiarity with the books provided 
for children’s use in social studies. 

FACT AND FICTION ABOUT OTHER LANDS 

Geographic concepts are developed through 
many experiences, map study, use of the 
globe, observation of films and filmstrips, 
field trips in the local community, and 
through reading. Some books present infor- 
mation about other countries — the climate, 
topography, industries, and generalized de- 
scriptions of customs. These are considered 
strictly factual books. Many of the series 
books and other books designed mainly to 
give information do contain a thin plot. Un- 
derstanding of lands or regions can be de- 
rived through identification with persons who 
live in these countries or by vicariously ex- 
periencing the sights, sounds, and patterns of 
living in a country through the story of real- 
istic people who live there. 

When the dates o£ titles listed in current 
bibliographies are examined, one realizes 
many were written ten to twenty years ago. 
For example, in a list of books about Latin 
America compiled by the Children’s Book 
Committee of the Child Study Association of 
America, 25 97 of the 146 titles were published 
before 1950. Recency of publication is only 
one factor to consider in selecting such books. 
The early books such as Lucy Fitch Perkins’ 
“Twins series’’ tended to portray stereotypes 
and emphasize differences. The older classics 
do not reflect the changes in life in other 
countries. Hans Brinker, written in 1865, is 
still an exciting story of a race for silver 
skates; but the book does not help children 
build a picture of life in The Netherlands 
today. Heidi is a dramatic story of an un- 
wanted child whose gaiety melts the stony 
heart ol her uncle. Joanna Spyri’s descrip- 
tions of the Alps, the glorious sunsets, the 
Bowers, and the wind in the hr trees, make 
the setting come alive. Although this book, 
too, was written in the nineteenth century, 

“Child Study Association, Latin America in Books 
for Boys and Girls. Washington, D. C.: Pan American 
Union, 1956. 


these views, the herds of goats, the mountain 
huts may still be seen by visitors to Switzer- 
land. Another excellent book, The Good 
Master, by Kate Seredy, takes place in Hun- 
gary, a land behind today’s Iron Curtain. It 
is a wonderfully exciting story; the relation- 
ships of Kate to Jancsi and his understanding 
father present deep values of living. In some 
ways farm life is probably the same, but the 
child should recognize that this story took 
place over forty years ago. Another classic 
about other lands is Young Fu of the Upper 
Yangtze by Elizabeth Lewis. Today, little is 
known of this communistic nation struggling 
for power and industrial development. It is 
true there are conflicts as in the days when 
Young Fu went to the city as an apprentice 
to a coppersmith, but the bound feet have 
disappeared and older superstitions have 
given way before modern technology. This 
book would have value for more mature stu- 
dents studying the development of China. In 
a more recent book by the same author, T o 
Beat a Tiger, poverty and civil strife are still 
a part of life in China. Although the groups 
are not identified, the teacher will recognize 
Nationalists and Communists in this rather 
complicated story for very mature elemen- 
tary-school children. 

Folk tales are often included in lists of 
books about other lands. It is true that the 
folk literature of a country may enrich the 
child’s understanding of its heritage; how- 
ever, children should realize that people to- 
day do not live as they did in the stories be- 
ginning “Once upon a time.’’ Reading The 
Jack Tales collected by Chase in the Cum- 
berland mountains would hardly help a child 
in Italy understand modern America. Sim- 
ilarly, Tales of a Chinese Grandmother by 
Carpenter would not portray modern China. 

It may be wise to pause for a moment to 
consider the children’s literature about the 
United States which would bring understand- 
ing to children in other lands. Lenski’s re- 
gional series? Homer Price or Henry Reed, 
Inc.? The Moffats? It is quickly realized that 
one book can present only one small aspect of 
life in this vast country with its great diver- 



Children Seek Inf ormation about People and Places - 177 


sity in geography, economy, and racial and 
cultural groups. In turn, wide reading is 
needed to understand India, Russia, or any 
other country. It is hoped that the next dec- 
ade will bring more well-written books which 
will portray modern life in many parts of the 
world. 

As the teacher or librarian guides chil- 
dren's reading of books about people in other 
lands, she should consider the authenticity 
of the book in terms of changes in the coun- 
try. Perhaps peasant life in rural areas has 
not changed appreciably, but the teacher will 
need to help children understand modern life 
in other countries through use of recent vis- 
ual aids and resource people who have lived 
or traveled in the country. To aid the teach- 
ers and librarians using this book, factual 
and fiction books about each continent have 
been grouped together. 

THE FAR EAST 

A comparison of older and more recent sto- 
ries about people of the Far East illustrates 
the need for careful selection of these books. 
Written by Eleanor Lattimore in 1931, Little 
Pear is the story of a mischievous five-year-old 
who explores his city in China. The sights 
and sounds of the market would be somewhat 
similar today, but there would be changes, 
too. This book actually consists of a series of 
incidents; the reader wonders what Little 
Pear will do next. A book for young children 
frequently included in bibliographies of 
China is The Chinese Children Next Door 
by Pearl Buck. In this story an American 
mother describes the family of six Chinese 
daughters who lived next door to her when 
she was a girl in China. She tells about houses, 
food, games, and customs as she weaves the 
story of the Chinese parents who had six 
beautiful daughters before the son finally 
arrived. Little Fu, by Creekmore, is the ac- 
count of the son of a tea merchant who goes 
down the river to sell his tea. Under the pres- 
ent Communistic regime it is doubtful that 
bandits would be allowed to prevent river 
trade. Warm family relationships are ex- 
pressed in Liu's book, Little Wu and the 


Watermelons. Here is a picture of farm life, 
but it is far different from reports of life in 
the communes. The money Wu has saved for 
a bracelet for his mother is given to help buy 
land; Wu seems almost too good to be real. 

Beautifully composed photographs tell the 
modern story of a five-year-old Swedish girl's 
visit to Japan in Riwkin-Brick's Eva Visits 
Noriko-San. Noriko-San is shown sleeping, 
playing, bathing, and eating. When the little 
girls exchange costumes the similarity of chil- 
dren around the world is depicted. In The 
Village Tree Yashima shows Japanese chil- 
dren at play along a river. The movement and 
rhythmical brush strokes convey the joy and 
security of this childhood world of play. 
Fujio, by Creekmore, shows modern Japan as 
Fujio joins his father in climbing the famous 
mountain. Games and festivals are described 
in this story which has little plot. Uchida has 
made the streets of modern Japan become 
real as the reader hurries with Taka o to sell 
his sword so he may win his father's grace in 
Takao and Grandfather's Sword. 

Older children will enjoy a mystery set in 
modern Japan. In Secret of the Samurai 
Sword , Phyllis Whitney writes of the adjust- 
ment of an American-born Japanese girl to 
the customs of Japan. Celia and Stephen 
Bronson, American children, come to visit 
their aunt in Japan and discover a ghost in 
the garden. They feel the antagonism of Su- 
miko’s grandfather toward Americans. Su- 
miko, the Nisei, learns she must maintain 
both American and Japanese patterns of life. 
The mystery of the Samurai ghost is finally 
solved and these Japanese-American relation- 
ships are cemented. 

After the Korean war, two books appeared 
about life in this strife-torn land. In one book 
Eisenberg recounts the tale of an ox who 
would pull a plow only for a Korean boy. 
This book, Won Kim's Ox, shows the con- 
flict between superstition and modem medi- 
cine. Another believable boy is created by 
Paul Anderson in Yong Kee of Korea . Yong 
Kee is finally allowed to join his father in 
cutting grass on the mountain. Bundles of 
dry grass are carried on the back in a frame 



178 - Knowing Children’s Literature 



Outstanding photography por- 
trays the relationship of an 
Indian boy and his pet tiger. 
From Chendru, the Boy and the 
Tiger by Astrid Sncksdorf. Har- 
court, 1960. 


called a jiggy and are later sold in the mar- 
ketplace for fuel. Facts about home life, 
school, and market are included in a natural 
and interesting style. The author keeps the 
flavor of the language with such phrases as 
“He sleeps like a baby tiger full of milk.” 

SOUTHERN ASIA 

Pakistan, India, Burma — these countries with 
their problems of independence and teeming 
populations are represented by relatively few 
modern books. A beautiful picture book by 
Astrid Sucksdorf tells the story of Chendru. 
Artistic color photographs tell the story of 
an Indian boy and his love for a pet tiger. 
The reader also learns of family life, food, 
shelter, and work in the village. Rain in the 
Winds by Claire and George Louden is an 
interesting story set in a village in India. As 
the boy Arun goes to find his elephant, Moti, 


he discovers the wonderful changes wrought 
by irrigation. The faces of the people are 
beautifully illustrated. Green color is added 
to the brown sketches when the text describes 
the coming of rains. Louise Rankin writes an 
exciting story of a young girl in the northern 
mountains of India. Daughter of the Moun- 
tains is the fascinating story of Momo's jour- 
ney to the city to find her stolen dog. A Brit- 
ish colonial officer's lady helps Momo solve 
the many problems of her family and returns 
the dog. The excellent writing creates beauti- 
ful word pictures of India. In a setting in the 
jungle region of India, Gift of the Forest is a 
dramatic story of faith pitted against sorcery. 
R. Lai Singh and Eloise Lownsbery based 
the book upon a true story told by Mr. 
Singh’s mother. When a young Indian, Bim, 
makes his first trip into the jungle, he is over- 
joyed to find a tiger cub. The village sor- 



Children Seek Inf ormation about People and Places - 179 


ceress insists a sacrifice be offered to offset 
the evil brought to the village by the tiger. 
Courage and faith are rewarded, but Bim 
must one day give his beloved Heera back 
to the jungle. 

The life of an oozie, elephant driver, is 
portrayed in Lindquist’s Burma Boy. Haji, 
son of a crippled oozie, is determined to find 
Madja Koom, his father’s elephant, who had 
run away and become very destructive. The 
exciting chase and the terrific ride on the 
wild elephant are climaxed when Madja 
Koom finally smells and recognizes the boy 
who was his former playmate. Many facts 
about the life and customs of these people 
are related in this excellent story. 

The grimness of famine in India is re- 
vealed through the story of a young farm boy. 
The Little Flute Player. The plot centers 
upon the harvest — will there be enough? 
How can they live until the next harvest?- 
American children need the realism of such 
a book as this one by Jean Bothwell. The 
relationship of child to parent and the cus- 
toms of men and women in the village are 
described through the action of the story. 
The role of the government in averting ac- 
tual famine is shown, but these isolated vil- 
lagers do not know assistance is available. 
This book could be used appropriately in a 
study of modern India. In Cobras , Cows, and 
Courage, Bothwell tells the story of changes 
in one farm family in India as a government 
man brings new seed and shows the people 
modern farming methods. The importance 
of the monsoon is as dramatic as the incident 
of the cobra gliding toward the baby. Geog- 
raphy, economics, and history are included 
in this interesting book. 

MIDDLE EAST 

A few books exemplify newer literature about 
people in the middle east. The Arabs, by El- 
lis introduces the upper-grade reader to this 
civilization. Details of the life of the poor 
and the well-to-do help the reader under- 
stand the wide differences within one region. 
Adjustment of the Nomads to the dry cli- 
mate is described in an interesting style. The 


teacher will need to guide discussion of such 
ideas as, “Gradually maladministration and 
corruption in office, coupled with internal 
strife among leading Umaygal families, weak- 
ened the dynasty until finally it fell before 
a determined opponent in the east.” 26 

The teacher will also need to guide chil- 
dren in interpretation of pictures and photo- 
graphs. In Turkey Old and New, Ekrem has 
included numerous photographs, but the text 
seldom explains these excellent pictures. On 
pages fourteen and fifteen, there are pic- 
tures of a country house in the southern part 
of Turkey and a village at the foothills of 
the Taurus Mountains. The teacher can 
point out the terracing on the mountain 
slope; she can direct children to locate these 
places on a large map of Turkey; she can 
suggest they look at the trees to see whether 
they are deciduous; she can guide compari- 
son of the sharp cliff in one picture and the 
hills in the other; reasons for use of stone 
walls could be considered as adjustment to 
terrain is discussed. Children may interpret 
information about customs in various ways. 
A committee might be encouraged to drama- 
tize the candy festival so vividly portrayed. 
Vegetables could be prepared following the 
description of grandmother’s day in the 
kitchen. Children might dramatize the fol- 
lowing scene in which a modern woman 
comes to visit a home where the women main- 
tain the old ways: 

While Ali Efendi sips his coffee, sitting cross- 
legged on the sofa, there is a knock at the door 
and the neighbor's son arrives with his wife. . . . 
Together husband and wife walk into the sitting 

room The Istanbul girl, unlike the merchant’s 

daughters, is used to showing her face to strange 
men . . . soon one of his daughters knocks at the 

door and hands in a tray She does not come 

in as there are strange men in the room, but 
hands the tray through to her brother. 

A little later, the young bride goes to visit the 
women of the house, who are gathered in the up- 
stairs sitting room The Istanbul girl kisses the 

hand of Granny and Ali Efendi's wife. She may 
be modern, but she still is true to the upbringing 

“Harry B. Ellis, The Arabs. Cleveland: World 
Publishing Company, 1958. p. 52. 



180 - Knowing Children* s Literature 

of her childhood. And such wonderful tales she 
has for the women of this small town! 27 

The information children have obtained 
about modern Turkey could thus be shared 
through informal dramatization. In review- 
ing books about other lands, the teacher 
should be alert for possibilities of dramatic 
presentation of the information. 

AFRICA 

There are few fictional books based upon 
African life to supplement the very good in- 
formational books which are currently avail- 
able. Simba of the White Mane is an excit- 
ing book by Arundel about the hunt for a 
lion. The white hunter covers his own fear 
with bravado as he hunts from a truck. Toki, 
the young native who was a “stowaway” on 
the safari, bravely faces the wounded lion. 
The problem of conservation in Africa is 
presented in this dramatic, action-packed 
story. Sia Lives on Kilimanjaro is the photo- 
graphic story of a little girl from East Africa 
who goes to see the king. Anna Riwkin- 
Brick’s photographs and Astrid Lindgren’s 
text present a very warm story. 

Life among the primitive groups is por- 
trayed in Enright's story of the son of a jungle 
chieftain, Kintu . Tension is high as Kintu 
faces a leopard in combat and finally over- 
comes his fear of the jungle. Published in 
1935, this book does not hint at the progress 
of peoples from stone age to modern civiliza- 
tion in one or two generations. This is also 
true of the beautiful family story, Thirty-One 
Brothers and Sisters by Mirsky. The tribal 
customs, food, and games would interest chil- 
dren. They will need to discuss the patterns 
of family life in order to compare and con- 
trast differing customs. 

There is stark realism in Gunther’s book, 
Meet South Africa. An outspoken discussion 
of apartheid and the color bar laws will lead 
to challenging discussions among the older 
children who use this book. Parts of the book 
could be read by a committee who might 

” Selma Ekrem, Turkey Old and New. New York: 
Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1947. p. 25. 


conduct a panel discussion of the issues 
raised. In addition to the social problems, 
the reader finds the description of the game 
reserve fascinating, and the story of the dia- 
mond rush is as exciting as our own gold 
rush. 

LATIN AMERICA 

A well-written story with a good plot and 
worthy theme may have any part of the world 
as its setting. When such a story gives descrip- 
tions of another land and creates a realistic 
picture of life in another culture it makes an 
especially worthy contribution. Secret of the 
Andes , by Clark, and Chucaro, Wild Pony of 
the Pampa , by Kalnay, are examples of books 
which satisfy all these requirements. The 
first book is laid in the high Andes of Peru 
where Cusi, the favored one, is directed to 
“follow his heart” to learn about his role in 
carrying on the proud Inca traditions. Cusi, 
the appointed one in Secret of the Andes, 
looks out at his world. Through his eyes the 
reader visualizes the following scene: 

They lived in a hidden valley high up on the 
rock slope of a mountain. Mountain peak upon 
mountain peak, sheer and hard and glistening in 
frozen mantles of ice and snow, encircled them — 

Hundreds of llamas were munching the moss- 
green ychu grass that covered the floor of the 
highland valley. They made spots of golden yel- 
low against the soft green of the ychu and the 
glaring white of the glacier snow fields. 28 

Such passages develop geographic under- 
standings. Kalnay ’s rich description of the 
Argentine pampa adds beauty to the moving 
story of a boy who became the owner of Chu- 
caro, the wild pony. Concepts of other farm- 
lands and ways of ranching are extended as 
the reader shares Pedro’s sadness in facing 
the developmental task of leaving familiar 
surroundings. Politi's illustrations of Ecua- 
dor make the story of a burro real and alive. 
In Looking-for-Something: The Story of a 
Stray Burro of Ecuador, the author, Clark, 
relates the adventures of the burro in the ba- 
nana country, in a city, in the gold mining 

28 Ann Nolan Clark, Secret of the Andes. New York: 
The Viking Press, 1950. p. 12, 13. 



Children Seek Inf ormation about People and Places - 181 


region, and in the forests inhabited by In- 
dians. When the burro finally finds a boy, 
the reader has enjoyed a story; he has also 
built new concepts of this country to the 
south. 

Three books about Mexico were written 
for younger children. The Painted Pig by 
Elizabeth Morrow is quite old, 1930, but the 
illustrations by Ren£ D’Harnoncourt convey 
the color and design typical of the country. 
There is very little plot to this story of Pe- 
dro’s search for a painted pig like the one be- 
longing to his sister. In Hat for a Hero, Laura 
Bannon writes a very amusing story of a small 
Indian who wanted a man-style hat. Pedro 
always seemed to be in the wrong. He tears 
the fishing nets when his pig throws him off 
stilts; he loses the widow’s turkey; he slides 
down the mountain, only to ruin the fish and 
injure his sister. The market scene is es- 
pecially descriptive. When he saves his sister 
from a bull, he becomes the village hero. 
Bannon has also written of child life in Man - 
uela’s Birthday in Old Mexico. A Mexican 
child’s wish lor an American doll is realized 
when two American artists make her a yarn 
doll. The characters are quite stylized, but 
the color and design in the illustrations are 
very pleasing. This book does little to help 
children understand modern life in Mexico. 

The 1960 Caldecott award was given Marie 
Hall Ets for Nine Days to Christmas. Ceci, a 
little Mexican girl, could hardly wait for the 
time to buy the piiiata for her first Christmas 
posada. Here is a truly modern setting. Tele- 
vision antenna, streamlined cars, modern 
bath tubs, kitchen ranges, and women in 
modern dress create the feeling of busy, mod- 
ern city life. Even a Dairy Queen store is on 
Ceci’s street! The gray backgrounds are en- 
livened with brilliant pink, orange, and yel- 
low. What fun children will have in visiting 
the piiiata market with Ceci! In this excellent 
book, children of all ages will identify with 
the Mexican children at the party. 

The language of a book about other peo- 
ples may limit its effectiveness. Treasure in 
the Andes, by Alfred Lewis, is an interesting 
story about Pepito, a Peruvian boy who 


wanted to be an artist. Finding a silver mine 
is exciting. However, the distorted jargon 
represented by this conversation is stereo- 
typed and unnatural: 

There was a worried look in Papa Contento’s 
eye as he turned to Pepito. “That man go to 
mine," he said. “If he is not good driver, he have 
trouble crossing Adobe Flats. Flats are slick with 
rain.” 29 

EUROPE 

Many series books present information about 
countries in Europe. Fiction about countries 
in Europe is of two types. One group con- 
sists of books originally written in English 
while the other group contains literature 
which has been translated. Among those orig- 
inally written in English are many books rep- 
resenting life in an earlier day. In more re- 
mote areas life may be continuing in the 
same way, but it is very important that chil- 
dren and teachers become aware of copy- 
right dates. Two books about Switzerland 
contain lovely illustrations. Kobi by Mary 
and Conrad Buff, and A Bell for Ursli by 
Chonz depict rural life in the mountains. The 
setting of mountains, chalets, and green pas- 
tures truly portrays the countryside. How- 
ever, there is little plot in either story, and 
the characters do not seem real. Annette 
Turngren has written the story of her Swedish 
childhood in Flaxen Braids. As the Swedish 
family moves northward to find work, farm 
customs of nearly a century ago are described. 

Nils by Ingri and Edgar d’Aulaire is often 
on lists of books about Norway. Actually, this 
is the story of a Norwegian boy who comes 
to America. The theme of adjustment would 
suggest this book be classified with those in 
which a new boy meets a very different school. 
One picture in which Nils is standing alone 
in the center of a teasing group of children 
accurately portrays the tension of the mo- 
ment. Several bibliographies include the 
beautifully illustrated Ola as a book to help 
children understand Norway. Actually, Ola's 
unusual adventures make this fantasy. What 

29 Alfred Lewis, Treasure in the Andes. Nashville, 
Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1952. p. 14. 




Authentic illustrations, such as this stave church, give 
background for a Norwegian story. From Ola by 
Ingri and Edgar d’Aulaire. Doubleday, 1932. 


is learned in this book? The reader learns 
there are forests in Norway, Lapps live in the 
north, fishing is an industry, and eiderdown 
is gathered from nests. The story is delight- 
ful; the pictures are gay and bright; Ola 
wends his way about the country with joyous 
abandon. This is a book which can be used 
much like poetry to enrich a child’s feeling 
and appreciation for a country. The teacher 
will need to use other books, pictures, and 
displays to develop concepts of the country 
and its people today. My Swedish Cousins, by 
the well-known team of Riwkin-Brick and 
Lindgren, photographer and writer, tells a 
slight story of cousins in Sweden who come 
from their various homes to visit their grand- 
mother in midsummer. The excellent photo- 
graphs convey the humor and warmth of 
these children as they describe daily life in 
various parts of Sweden. 

Magic Word for Elin is a mystery story 
which presents a good picture of modem life 
in Finland. Lide and Johansen write of Elin’s 
move with her family from Helsinki to a 
182 


farm. Her uncle suggests she try to find magic 
words to banish the ghost from Haunted 
Hill. Elin grows up as she adjusts to the new 
school and she finds the magic word is Sisu, 
meaning courage and fortitude. 

The necessity for guiding children’s read- 
ing instead of merely bringing books to the 
classroom is realized when the teacher re- 
views such a book as Gudrun Thome- 
Thomsen’s In Norway. The information is 
interesting, the black-and-white sketches are 
lovely. The text includes early history, infor- 
mation about homes, industries, customs. 
The legends and adventures of workers such 
as the lighthouse keepers are well-written. 
However, some phrases need explanation if 
the child is to gain understanding from this 
book. “Passionate love for their country,” 
“procure trading privileges,” and “real re- 
nascence began” are examples of such phrases. 

Two World War II stories have actually 
become historical. In Pancakes Paris by Claire 
Huchet Bishop a French boy receives a box 
of pancake mix from a G. I. but has much dif- 
ficulty reading the English directions. Scenes 
of Paris enhance the story. The poignant dis- 
cussions of before (before the war) are en- 
livened by the joyful party. Another book by 
this author, Twenty and Ten, tells of the 
Jewish children who are given refuge in a 
French orphanage. They also talk about be- 
fore when there were no ration cards. This 
book shows the bravery of children as they 
maintain silence under Nazi investigation. 
Their humorous play titled “The Flight Into 
Egypt” is delightful! 

A modern fanciful tale was created by 
Andr£ Maurois. Simply titled. The French 
Boy, this photographic story tells of one boy’s 
daily life. When the boy, Nico, pretends to be 
a dog for a day he has some very interesting 
experiences. 

A farm boy in the French Alps faces lone- 
liness on a mountain in All Alone by Claire 
Huchet Bishop. Marcel and Pierre become 
friends when a terrible storm blocks their 
trail to the village. This action reverses the 
behavior which had been typical of the vil- 
lage — keep to yourself and have nothing to 




Children Seek Information about People and Places - 183 


do with neighbors. The villagers work to- 
gether to clear the trail and find unified ac- 
tion so good they decide to set up a farm co- 
operative. 

The teacher should help children under- 
stand that the story usually takes place in 
only one part of a country, even one part of 
a city; it can present only a limited facet of 
life in a city, a region, a country, or at a par- 
ticular time. The view of Paris which is pre- 
sented by Carlson in A Family Under the 
Bridge is realistic, but very limited! The 
sights, sounds, and smells of some areas of the 
city reach the senses of the reader and paint 
a vivid picture of the alleys and side streets 
where Armand leads the children to gather 
food. Children must realize this is only a thin 
slice of life in Paris. 

This Is Paris is a delightful, amusing travel 
guide for children. The well-known Czech 
painter, Sasek, has used the techniques of 
Monet and Seurat to express the reflections 
of the “City of Light” as tiny dots of color 
shimmer below the Eiffel Tower. The peo- 
ple’s faces are reminiscent of Modigliani, for 
example, the lady carrying the long bread 
stick. Famous landmarks, such as Notre 
Dame, Pont de Neuf, and the Louvre, as well 
as everyday bus stops, book stalls, and letter 
boxes are pictured with enough space for 
comfort. Wisely, he included the Monkey’s 
Paradise at the zoo, French poodles, and a 
cemetery for dogs. Adults who have been in 
Paris may enjoy this book even more than 
children! The same author-illustrator has 
written This Is London and This Is Rome . 

The Newbery award book, Wheel on the 
School by Dejong, exemplifies the well- 
written book which has a setting in another 
country. In the search for a wheel for stork 
nests, each character reveals his personality 
structure. From this book the child can learn 
much about rural life in The Netherlands. 

Usually the emphasis in books which have 
been translated is upon the story itself. Some- 
times information is included; in a subtle 
way children learn about people as people, 
not as “foreigners.” The Spettecake Holiday 
by Unnerstad shows farm life in Sweden as 


Pelle-Goran visits his relatives. There is 
humor and mystery in this story of a little 
boy’s stay with his grandmother. Lisa and 
Lottie by Erich Kastner shows the way two 
children react to the divorce of their parents. 
At a summer camp they realize they are ac- 
tually twins, but do not reveal the secret. As 
they return home they exchange places — one 
goes to the father, an orchestra conductor and 
a composer, while the other, who was for- 
merly with her father, joins the mother. The 
way the family is finally reunited is an inter- 
esting, if somewhat contrived, story. From an- 
other translation, children in America can 
learn that the needs and interests of German 
children are like theirs. When German chil- 
dren in The Girl from Nowhere by Von Geb- 
hardt try to keep a newcomer out of their 


Amusing illustrations capture the tourists’ view of 
London. From This Is London by Miroslav Sasek. 
Macmillan, 1959. 



184 - Knowing Children's Literature 

street, gang behavior, similar to that found in 
America, is evident. The description of 
schools and apartment living in post-war 
Germany helps make this a story to build 
understanding. Many children will identify 
with the lonely child standing by the lamp 
post. 

Books for children quickly reflect new in- 
terests of man in exploring the earth. Re- 
cently, several books about the Arctic and 
Antarctic have appeared. Usually this infor- 
mation is not available in textbooks; there- 
fore, the teacher needs to use literature to 
meet current interests and enrich the social 
studies. There is a freshness about these in- 
formational books, perhaps due to the excel- 
lent photographs, perhaps because the authors 
are usually people who have actually lived in 
these regions. In People of the Snow , Wanda 
Tolbloom, wife of a fur trader who lived 
among the Eskimos, writes of changing ways 
of life, games and art. For more advanced 
readers, or for the teacher to read aloud, Here 
Is the Far North by Stefanson describes the 
museum of the perma-frost region, Icelandic 
volcanoes, and current activities in Russian 
Siberia. Euller’s exciting accounts of explora- 
tions in Arctic World would inspire young 
adventurers. The description of life at the 
air base at Thule, Greenland, would be of 
special interest to children who know airmen 
or contractors developing this region. 

Although it seems there are quantities of 
books about people in other lands, the 
teacher finds gaps when she searches for ma- 
terial relating to some areas. There is very 
little information about islands of the Pa- 
cific, the near East, and China. A sixth-grade 
teacher looking for literature about Russia 
found only a few recent volumes. The ma- 
jority of the books on the shelf were written 
in the mid-forties when it was “safe” and ac- 
ceptable to write about Russia. A recent pho- 
tographic book provides excellent informa- 
tion. Vandivert's Children of the USSR at 
Work and at Play makes it possible for 
American children to compare their activi- 
ties. This photographer shows the child in 
the nursery, children bringing flowers to 


school, laughter, and lessons. The text makes 
clear the influence of government in the life 
of the child and shows the lack of freedom to 
choose schools or vocations. A major part of 
Here Is the Far North describes Russian Si- 
beria as the biggest, coldest, and busiest part 
of the Arctic. Stefanson's excellent photo- 
graphs help children visualize the tundra and 
taiga. The use of slave labor is included in 
the account of the more recent development 
of the region. Getting to Know the USSR 
presents facts about the life of the people, 
especially children. Wallace's comparison of 
the geographic features of the United States 
and the USSR is very good. The reader is not 
overwhelmed by details of history, but 
enough information for the elementary- 
school child is included. The author reports 
Soviet children study harder than American 
children. As evidencehe notes that they have 
arithmetic every year, that they have chem- 
istry, physics and biology in elementary 
school. Many elementary school children in 
America will reply, “But we do, too!” Ele- 
mentary science in many schools includes 
content from physics and chemistry although 
these labels are not used. The major differ- 
ence is in the study of a foreign language, but 
this, too, is changing in American education. 
Wallace also says the study of heroes is “sup- 
posed to make them love their country.” Isn’t 
the same goal expressed in American schools? 
Information about cost of clothing and food 
will be of interest to boys and girls. This au- 
thor makes clear the ideological differences. 
In writing of Pasternak he concludes by 
pointing out the Communist doctrine that 
truth is whatever the government says it is. 
The First Book of the Soviet Union by Sny- 
der provides a political history of the country. 
Photographs are often blurred and do little 
to illuminate the text. Many phrases would 
have little meaning; for example, “a cultural 
awakening,” “a soviet,” “no more capitalism 
in Russia.” However, the section on “Com- 
munist Jargon” is well-written. To show the 
influence of the party, the author quotes a 
teacher's comments to her class. In italics the 
author writes, “But this teacher was not tell- 



Children Seek Inf ormation about People and Places - 185 


ing the truth. She is following the party line 
and telling the pupils what the party wants 
them to believe . . . .” 30 

He goes on to cite a boy’s recitation from a 
text about Russia’s entry into war against 
Japan. Again, the author points out the 
errors, but it might be noted that he, too, 
does not tell the “whole story.” It would be 
wise to read this book aloud to promote com- 
parison with other references. Savage de- 
scribes Russia’s rise to power in People and 
Power, The Story of Three Nations. The text 
seems slow and ponderous; small type is used, 
there is little space, and the photographs are 
uninteresting. This account ends with events 
in 1941. In a different vein, the Beims de- 
scribe family life which centers around the 
samovar. Sasha and the Samovar tells of a 
little farm boy who wants to help, just as all 
small boys try to assume adult roles. 

Nazaroff presents the history of some of the 
Russian cities in The Land of the Russian 
People. Emphasis is upon the development of 
the present political and economic system. 
Peoples of the USSR , written by Strong in 
1944, reveals the author’s strong bias toward 
these people. Her implicit faith in Stalin cre- 
ates questions for the reader of today. The 
dramatic account of the defense of Stalingrad 
helps the reader feel sympathy for the Rus- 
sians as people. The Foreword tells of Mrs. 
Strong’s pioneering spirit for she was “the 
first American” in many of the regions she 
describes. However, one wonders how she 
would describe the country today. It is indeed 
difficult to present a picture of a country be- 
hind an Iron Curtain. 

CRITERIA FOR BOOKS ABOUT OTHER LANDS 

In selecting fictional literature about other 
lands, the teacher and librarian should con- 
sider several criteria in addition to those for 
all good fiction for children: 

• Is the setting authentic? 

• Does the book portray present-day life? 

If the story takes place in the past, is 

"Louis Snyder, The First Book of the Soviet Union. 
New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1959. p. 81. 


the reader made aware of the period of 

time? 

• Do the characters represent realistic 

human personalities? 

• Does the book reflect technological, eco- 

nomic, political, and social changes? 

• Is information included naturally and 

not extraneously? 

• Is the dialogue natural? 

• Are stereotypes avoided? 

• Does the book really help the reader 

understand life in this country? 

SUMMARY 

Literature to help children understand con- 
cepts in the social studies includes both fic- 
tional and informational books. These books 
are related to the social processes of providing 
food, clothing, shelter, transportation, com- 
munication, and government. Children need 
a wide variety of books about people in the 
United States and other lands. Many series 
books are excellent resources, but each book 
should be evaluated by the teacher. Recency, 
accuracy, clarity of style, photography, and 
interest should be considered. Although chil- 
dren should become aware of differences 
among peoples, literature should contribute 
to an understanding of the common needs of 
mankind. By identifying with believable peo- 
ple in literature, children can develop atti- 
tudes of acceptance of difference as an en- 
richment of life. 

It is not enough to provide many books in 
the classroom; the teacher must guide chil- 
dren's reading through group discussion and 
individual conference. Children should be 
encouraged to interpret books about people 
and places in many ways as suggested in 
Chapter 12. To develop understandings of 
the modern world, literature should enrich 
and be enriched by contacts with people 
from other lands, films, filmstrips, recordings, 
and trips in the local community. The 
teacher is challenged to use many media and 
a wide range of literature in helping children 
solve problems of concern to them in the 



186 - Knowing Children* s Literature 

present in order that they may develop skills 

and knowledge which will make it possible 

for them to solve the problems of tomorrow. 

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 

1. Observe a sharing period and record the 
social processes which are discussed. 

2. Review books for one grade level related 
to one of the social processes. Cards simi- 
lar to those developed for recording eval- 
uations of science books should be made. 

3. Read several factual and fictional books 
about one country. Compare the facts 
given, the photographs, and style of 
writing. 

4. If possible, show several books about his 
country to a person from that land. Ask 
him about possible stereotypes, facts, and 
general impressions presented in the book. 

5. Select three or four current problems in 
the community, nation, or world. Locate 
books which would help children under- 
stand these problems. Collect related pic- 
tures and ephemeral material which would 
be useful in the classroom. 

6. Preview films, filmstrips, and recordings 
which would extend children's under- 
standing of the social process or the coun- 
try selected in 2 or 3 above. Prepare an 
evaluative card for each. (See Chapter 11.) 

7. Select a social-studies textbook for one 
grade level. Choose one of the text units 
and indicate the children’s literature 
which would supplement this text. 

BELATED READINGS 

Eakin, Mary K. Good Books for Children. Chicago: 
University of Chicago Press, 1959. 

By using the index organized according to subject, 
the teacher can locate books related to the study 
of social processes and other lands. Each book is 
critically annotated. 

Jarolimek, John. Social Studies in Elementary Educa- 
tion. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1959. 
“The Development of Social Studies Units” gives 
an excellent background for understanding the use 
of literature in the social-studies program. 


Kenworthy, Leonard. Introducing Children to the 
World. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1956. 

An outstanding book which presents the need for 
a planned program to develop international under- 
standing. Many books for children and teachers are 
included. The themes for study at all levels will 
guide teachers in developing a good program for 
world understanding. 

Michaelis, John U. Social Studies for Children in a 
Democracy. Second Edition. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: 
Prentice- Hall, Inc., 1956. 

Definitions and objectives of the social studies will 
provide background for the good description of 
patterns of organization. Guides for the develop- 
ment of concepts and generalizations are presented 
in Chapter 4. 

Miel, Alice and Peggy Brogan. More Than Social 
Studies. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice- Hall, Inc., 
1957. 

This book presents the concept of social education 
which goes beyond the social studies. The anecdotal 
accounts of children's learning experiences will be 
especially useful. Also, the discussion of social 
studies units presents a viewpoint which should be 
considered by the teacher. 

National Society for the Study of Education. Fifty- 
sixth Yearbook, Part II. Social Studies in the Ele- 
mentary School. Chicago: University of Chicago 
Press, 1957. 

Chase discusses “Individual Differences in Class- 
room Learning” and Burrows gives good sugges- 
tions for “Reading, Research, and Reporting in the 
Social Studies.” The need for “Education for Inter- 
national Understanding” is clearly defined by Wil- 
son and Collings. 

Tooze, Ruth and Beatrice Krone. Literature and 
Music as Resources for Social Studies. Englewood 
Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1955. 

In Part II, Growing Up as a Citizen of the World, 
the authors list books and music about many coun- 
tries. Folk tales, fiction, and informational books 
are included. Annotations are brief. 


CHAPTER REVERENCES 

Allee, Vera E. The Frozen Foods Plant. Photographs 
by Robert Fogata. Chicago: Melmont Publishers, 
1955. 

Ames, Gerald and Rose Wyler. The First People in 
the World. Pictures by Leonard Weisgard. New 
York: Harper & Brothers, 1958. 

Anderson, Paul. Yong Kee of Korea. Illustrated by 
Yong Hwan Kim. New York: William R. Scott, 
Inc., 1959. 

Arundel, Jocelyn. Simba of the White Mane . Illus- 



Children Seek Information about People and Places - 187 


trated by Wesley Dennis. New York: Whittlesey 
House, 1958. 

d'Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar Parin (authors-illustra- 
tors) . Nils. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 
1948. 

Ola. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 

1939. 

Bailey, Bernadine. Forests and Fiords. Illustrated by 
Aase Skotting. Chicago: Beckley-Cardy Co., 1952. 

Picture Book Series of the United States. Illus- 
trated by Kurt Wiese. Chicago: Albert Whitman 
& Company, 1951. 

Baldwin, Clara. The Hermit of Crab Island. Illus- 
trated by Ray Campbell. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 
1958. 

Bannon, Laura (author-illustrator) . Hat for a Hero. 
Chicago: Albert Whitman & Company, 1954. 

Manuela’s Birthday in Old Mexico. Chicago: 

Albert Whitman & Company, 1939. 

Barr, Jene. Fireman Fred. Illustrated by Chauncey 
Maltman. Chicago: Albert Whitman & Company, 
1952. 

Mr. Mailman. Illustrated by Chauncey Malt- 
man. Chicago: Albert Whitman 8c Company, 1954. 

Policeman Paul. Illustrated by Chauncey Malt- 
man. Chicago: Albert Whitman & Company, 1952. 

Bate, Norman (author-illustrator) . Who Built the 
Bridge? New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1954. 

(author-illustrator) . Who Built the Dam? 

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1958. 

Bauer, Helen. Hawaii , the Aloha State. Illustrated 
with photographs. Linecuts by Bruce McCurdy. New 
York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1960. 

Beim, Lorraine and Jerrold. Sasha and the Samovar. 
New York: Harcourt, Brace 8c Company, 1944. 

Bendick, Jeanne (author-illustrator) . First Book of 
Supermarkets. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 
1954. 

Berner, Elsa. Germany. New York: Holiday House, 
1951. 

Bethers, Ray. Perhaps I’ll Be a Farmer. New York: 
Aladdin, 1950. 

Billings, Henry (author-illustrator) . Construction 
Ahead. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1951. 

Bishop, Claire Huchet. All Alone. Illustrated by Feo- 
dor Rojankovsky. New York: The Viking Press, 
Inc., 1953. 

Pancakes Paris. Illustrated by Georges Schrei- 

ber. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1947. 

Twenty and Ten. Illustrated by William P£ne 

DuBois. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1952. 

Blough, Glenn O. Lookout for the Forest. Pictures by 
Jeanne Bendick. New York: Whittlesey House, 1955. 

Bonner, Mary Graham. Made in Canada. New York: 
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1943. 

The Real Book About Crime Detection. Il- 
lustrated by Vincent Fodera. Garden City, N. Y.: 
Garden City Books, 1957. 


Bothwell, Jean. Cobras, Cows and Courage. Drawings 
by Donald Pitcher. New York: Coward- McCann, 
Inc., 1956. 

Little Flute Player. Illustrated by Margaret 

Ayer. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1945. 

Bradley, Duane. Engineers Did It! Illustrated by Anne 
Marie Jauss. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Com- 
pany, 1958. 

Buchheimer, Naomi. Let's Go to the Library. Pictures 
by Vee Guthrie. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 
1957. 

Let's Take a Trip to a Fire House. Drawings 

by Vee Guthrie. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 
1956. 

Buckley, Peter (author-illustrator) . Jan of Holland. 
New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1956. 

Buehr, Walter (author-illustrator) . Bread, the Staff 
of Life. New York: William Morrow & Company, 
Inc., 1959. 

Meat From Ranch to Table. New York: Wil- 
liam Morrow & Company, Inc., 1956. 

Oil , Today’s Black Magic. New York: William 

Morrow & Company, Inc., 1957. 

Treasure, the Story of Money and Its Safe 

Guarding. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1955. 

Trucks and Trucking. New York: G. P. Put- 
nam’s Sons, 1957. 

Buff, Mary and Conrad. Kobi, a Boy of Switzerland. 
Lithographs by Conrad Buff. New York: The Vik- 
ing Press, Inc., 1939. 

Bunce, William H. Freight Trains. Drawings by Lem- 
uel B. Line. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1954. 

Burchard, Peter (author-illustrator) . The Carol 
Moran. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1958. 

Burns, William A. A World Full of Homes. Pictures 
by Paula Hutchison. New York: Whittlesey House, 
1953. 

Burt, Olive W. Peter’s Sugar Farm. New York: Holt, 
Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1954. 

Caldwell, John Cope. Let’s Visit Middle Africa. New 
York: The John Day Company, 1958. 

Let’s Visit the Middle East. New York: The 

John Day Company, 1958. 

Carlson, Natalie Savage. The Family Under the 
Bridge. Pictures by Garth Williams. New York: 
Harper & Brothers, 1958. 

Carpenter, Frances. Tales of a Chinese Grandmother. 
Illustrated by Malth£ Hasselbriis. New York: 
Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1937. 

Case, Bernard. The Story of Houses. New York: Ster- 
ling Publishing Co., 1957. 

Chase, Richard. The Jack Tales. Illustrated by Berke- 
ley Williams. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 
1947. 

Chonz, Selena. A Bell for Ursli. Illustrated by Alois 
Carigiet. New York: The Oxford University Press, 
1950. 

Clark, Ann Nolan. Looking for Something: the Story 



188 - Knowing Children’s Literature 

of a Stray Burro of Equador . Illustrated by Leo 
Politi. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1952. 

Secret of the Andes. Drawings by Jean Chariot. 

New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1952. 

Cochrane, Joanna. Let's Go to the United Nations 
Headquarters . Illustrated by Alan Moyler. New 
York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1958. 

Coffin, Robert Peter Tristam. New England. Picture 
maps by Janet Croninger. Grand Rapids, Mich.: 
The Fideler Company, 1951. 

Colby, Carroll B. Smoke Eaters. New York: Coward- 
McCann, Inc., 1954. 

Comfort, Mildred H. Kish of India. Illustrated by 
Arthur Paul. Chicago: Beckley-Cardy Co., 1953. 

Temple Town to Tokyo. Illustrated by Ar- 
thur Paul. Chicago: Beckley-Cardy Co., 1952. 

Cooke, David C. How Superhighways Are Made. New 
York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1958. 

Coy, Harold. The First Book of Congress. Pictures 
by Helen Borten. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 
1958. 

The First Book of the Supreme Court. Pictures 

by Helen Borten. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 
1958. 

Craz, Albert. Getting to Know Liberia. Illustrated by 
Don Lambo. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 
1958. 

Credle, Ellis (author-illustrator) . Down , Down the 
Mountain. New York: Thomas Nelson 8c Sons, 1934. 

Creekmore, Raymond (author-illustrator) . Fujio. 
New York: The Macmillan Company, 1951. 

(author-illustrator) . Little Fu. New York: 

The Macmillan Company, 1947. 

Dana, Dorothea. Sugar Bush. New York: Thomas 
Nelson & Sons, 1947. 

Davis, Fanny. Getting to Know Turkey. Illustrated 
by Don Lambo. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 
1957. 

Davis, Robert. France. Illustrated by Rafaello Busoni. 
New York: Holiday House, 1947. 

Dejong, Dola. Picture Story of Holland. Illustrated 
by Gerard Hordyk. New York: David McKay Com- 
pany, Inc., 1946. 

Dejong, Meindert. The Wheel on the School. Illus- 
trated by Maurice Sendak. New York: Harper & 
Brothers, 1954. 

Dodge, Mary Mapes. Hans Brinker; or, The Silver 
Skates. Illustrated by Milo Winter. Skokie, 111.: 
Rand, McNally & Company, 1916. 

Dudley, Nancy (Lois Dwight Cole) . Linda Goes to 
a TV Studio. Pictures by Sofia. New York: Coward- 
McCann, Inc., 1957. 

Edel, May. The Story of People. Illustrated by Her- 
bert Danska. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 
1953. 

Eisenberg, Philip. Won Kim's Ox. Illustrated by Hilda 
Eisenberg. Chicago: Follett Publishing Company, 
1956. 


Ekrem, Selma. Turkey Old and New. Map by Ray- 
mond Lufkin. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 
1947. 

Ellis, Harry B. The Arabs. Illustrated by Leonard 
Everett Fisher. Cleveland: World Publishing Com- 
pany, 1958. 

Elting, Mary and Margaret Grossett. The Lolly pop 
Factory — and Lots of Others. Pictures by Jeanne 
Bendick. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 
1946. 

Elting, Mary. Trucks at Work. Pictures by Ursula 
Koering. Garden City, N. Y.: Garden City Books, 

1946. 

Enright, Elizabeth (author-illustrator) . Kintu. New 
York: Farrar and Rinehart, 1934. o.p. (Included 
in Best in Children's Books, Vol. 23. Garden City, 
N. Y.: Doubleday Children’s Book Club.) 

Estes, Eleanor. The Moffats. Illustrated by Louis Slo- 
bodan. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 
1941. 

Ets, Marie Hall and Aurora Labastida. Nine Days to 
Christmas. Illustrated by Marie Hall Ets. New 
York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1959. 

Euller, John. Arctic World. New York: Abelard-Schu- 
man, Limited, 1958. 

Evans, Eva Knox. All About Us. Illustrated by Vana 
Earle. New York: Capital Publishing Co., Inc., 1947. 

People Are Important. Illustrated by Vana 

Earle. New York: Capital Publishing Co., Inc., 1951. 

Why We Live Where We Live. Illustrated by 

Ursula Koering. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 
1953. 

Feldman, Herbert. Land and People of Pakistan. 

Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1958. 
Fergusson, Erna. Let's Read About Hawaiian Islands. 

Grand Rapids, Mich.: The Fideler Company, 1955. 
Fisher, Dorothy Canfield. A Fair World For All, the 
Meaning of the Declaration of Human Rights. 
Illustrated by Jeanne Bendick. New York: Whit- 
tlesey House, 1952. 

Fisher, Lois J. (author-illustrator) . You and the 
United Nations. Chicago: Childrens Press, Inc., 

1947. 

Floherty, John Joseph. Our FBI — an Inside Story. 

Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1951. 
Galt, Tom. How the United Nations Works. New 
York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1947. 

Gianakoulis, Theodore. Land and People of Greece. 

Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1952. 
Gidal, Tim and Sonia. My Village in Austria. New 
York: Pantheon Books, Inc., 1956. 

My Village in India. New York: Pantheon 

Books, Inc., 1956. 

Goetz, Delia. The Arctic Tundra. Illustrated by Louis 
Darling. New York: William Morrow & Company, 
Inc., 1958. 

Let's Read About South America. Grand 



Children Seek Information about People and Places - 189 


Rapids, Mich.: The Fideler Company, 1950. 

Golden, Grace B. Made in Iceland. Illustrated by 
Loreen de Waard. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 
Inc., 1958. 

Goodspeed, J. M. Let's Go to a Supermarket. Illus- 
trated by Ruth Van Sciver. New York: G. P. Put- 
nam’s Sons, 1958. 

Gordon, Dorothy. You and Democracy. Pictures by 
Lois Fisher and Karl Murr. New York: E. P. Dut- 
ton & Co., Inc., 1951. 

Granberg, Wilbur J. Johnny Wants to Be a Police- 
man. Illustrated by Alison Cummings. New York: 
Aladdin, 1951. 

Greene, Carla. A Trip on a Train. New York: Lan- 
tern Press, Inc., 1956. 

Gringhuis, Richard H. (author-illustrator) . Here 
Comes the Bookmobile. Chicago: Albert Whitman 
& Company, 1952. 

Gunther, John. Meet South Africa. Illustrated by 
Grisha. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1958. 

Hahn, Emily. First Book of India. New York: Frank- 
lin Watts, Inc., 1955. 

Hansen, Harry. The Story of Illinois. Illustrated by 
John N. Barron. Garden City, N. Y.: Garden City 
Books, 1956. 

Harvey, Lois. Cotton Growing. Illustrated by James 
Frew. Chicago: Melmont Publishers, 1958. 

Hastings, Evelyn B. The Department Store. Photo- 
graphs by Lewis A. Ogan. Chicago: Melmont Pub- 
lishers, 1956. 

Havighurst, Walter. The Midwest. Picture maps by 
Jessie Miersma. Grand Rapids, Mich.: The Fideler 
Company, 1951. 

The Northeast. Picture maps by Janet Cronin- 

ger and Robert Poterack. Grand Rapids, Mich.: 
The Fideler Company, 1952. 

Hengesbaugh, Jane R. I Live in So Many Places. Il- 
lustrated by Katherine Evans. Chicago: Childrens 
Press, Inc., 1957. 

Holisher, Desider and Graham Beckel. Capitol Hill: 
The Story of Congress. New York: Henry Schuman, 
Inc., 1952. - 

Holling, Holling C. (author-illustrator) . Minn of the 
Mississippi. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 
1952. 

Paddle-to-the-Sea. Boston: Houghton Mifflin 

Company, 1941. 

Hollos, Clara. The Story of Your Coat. Pictures by 
Herbert Kruckman. New York: International Pub- 
lishers Co., 1945. 

Hunt, George Pinney. The Story of the U.S. Marines. 
Illustrated by Charles J. Mazoujian. New York: 
Random House, Inc., 1951. 

Ipcar, Dahlov (author-illustrator) . Ten Big Farms. 
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1958. 

Jackson, Kathryn. Homes Around the World. Mor- 
ristown, N. J.: Silver Burdett Company, 1957. 


Pets Around the World. Morristown, N. J.: 

Silver Burdett Company, 1957. 

and F. D. Becker. Work Around the World. 

Morristown, N. J.: Silver Burdett Company, 1957. 

Jarecka, Louise Llewellyn. Made in Poland. Illus- 
trated by M. S. Nowicki. New York: Alfred A. 
Knopf, Inc., 1949. 

Jupo, Frank J. (author-illustrator) . Nothing to Wear 
but Clothes. New York: Aladdin, 1953. 

Kalnay, Francis. Chucaro, Wild Pony of the Pampa. 
Illustrated by Julian de Miskey.'New York: Har- 
court. Brace & Company, 1958. 

Kastner, Erich. Lisa and Lottie. Illustrated by Walter 
Trier. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1949. 

Knight, Clayton and K. S. The Real Book About Our 
Armed Forces. Illustrated by Clayton Knight. Gar- 
den City, N. Y.: Garden City Books, 1959. 

Krasilovsky, Phyllis. Benny's Flag. Pictures by W. T. 
Mars. Cleveland: World Publishing Company, 1960. 

Kuhn, Ferdinand. The Story of the Secret Service. 
New York: Random House, Inc., 1957. 

LaFarge, Oliver. The Mother Ditch. Illustrated by 
Karl Larsson. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 
1954. 

Lattimore, Eleanor Frances (author-illustrator) . Lit- 
tle Pear and His Friends. New York: Harcourt, 
Brace & Company, 1931. 

Leaf, Munro (author-illustrator) . Three Promises to 
You. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1957. 

Lenski, Lois (author-illustrator) . Corn Farm Boy. 
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1954. 

Cotton in My Sack. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippin- 
cott Company, 1949. 

Little Sioux Girl. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippin- 
cott Company, 1958. 

Prairie School. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott 

Company, 1951. 

Strawberry Girl. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippin- 
cott Company, 1945. 

Texas Tomboy. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippin- 
cott Company, 1950. 

The Little Train. New York: Oxford Univer- 
sity Press, 1940. 

We Live by the River. Philadelphia: J. B. 

Lippincott Company, 1958. 

We Live in the City. Philadelphia: J. B. Lip- 
pincott Company, 1954. 

Lent, Henry Bolles. From Trees to Paper. New York: 
The Macmillan Company, 1952. 

Here Come the Trucks. Illustrated by Renee 

George. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1954. 

I Work on a Newspaper. Photographs by 

James B. Walsh. New York: The Macmillan Com- 
pany, 1948. 

Men at Work in New England. New York: 

G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1956. 

Men at Work on the West Coast. New York: 



190 - Knowing Children’s Literature 

G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1959. 

Lewis, Alfred. Treasure in the Andes. Illustrated by 
Zhenya Gay. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1952. 

Lewis, Elizabeth. To Beat a Tiger. Decorations by 
John Huehnergarth. New York: Holt, Rinehart 
and Winston, Inc., 1956. 

Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze. Illustrated 

by Kurt Wiese. New York: Holt, Rinehart and 
Winston, Inc., 1932. 

Lewi ton, Mina. Rachel. Pictures by Howard Simon. 
New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1954. 

Rachel and Herman. Pictures by Howard 

Simon. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1957. 

Liang, Yen. The Skyscraper. Philadelphia: J. B. Lip- 
pincott Company, 1958. 

Lide, Alice Alison and Margaret Johansen. Magic 
Word for Elin. Illustrated by Cheslie D ’Andrea. 
Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1958. 

Lindquist, Willis. Alaska , the Forty-ninth State. Il- 
lustrated by P. A. Hutchinson. New York: Whittle- 
sey House, 1959. 

Burma Boy. Illustrated by Nicolas Mordvinov. 

New York: Whittlesey House, 1952. 

Liu, Beatrice. Little Wu and the Watermelons. Illus- 
trated by Graham Peck. Chicago: Follett Publish- 
ing Company, 1954. 

Lobsenz, Norman. First Book of West Germany. New 
York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1959. 

Louden, Claire and George (authors-illustrators) . 
Rain in the Winds. New York: Charles Scribner’s 
Sons, 1953. 

Mason, Margaret and Charles. How Do You Build a 
House? Illustrated by Jon Nielsen. New York: Ster- 
ling Publishing Co., Inc., 1953. 

Maurois, Andr£. The French Boy. Photographs by 
Gerald Maurois. New York: Sterling Publishing 
Co., Inc., n. d. 

Mauzey, Merritt (author-illustrator) . Oilfield Boy. 
New York: Abelard-Schuman, Limited, 1957. 

McClintock, Marshall. The Story of New England. 
Lithographs by C. H. DeWitt. New York: Harper 
& Brothers, 1941. 

McCloskey, Robert (author-illustrator) . Homer Price. 
New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1943. 

Time of Wonder. New York: The Viking Press, 

Inc., 1957. 

McCracken, Harold. The Story of Alaska. Illustrated 
by Earl Oliver Hurst. Garden City, N. Y.: Garden 
City Books, 1956. 

McNeer, May Yonge. The Story of Florida. Litho- 
graphs by C. H. DeWitt. New York: Harper & 
Brothers, 1947. 

Mead, Margaret. People and Places. Illustrated by 
W. L. Mars and Jan Faerservis and with photo- 
graphs. Cleveland: World Publishing Company, 
1959. 


Mears, Helen. The First Book of Japan. Illustrated 
by Kathleen Elgin. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 
1953. 

Miles, Betty. A House for Everyone. Illustrated by Jo 
Lowrey. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1958. 

What Is the World? Illustrated by Remy 

Charlip. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1958. 

Mirsky, Reba Paeff. Thirty-one Brothers and Sisters. 
Illustrated by W. T. Mars. Chicago: Wilcox & Fol- 
lett Company, 1952. 

Morrow, Elizabeth. The Painted Pig. Illustrated by 
Ren£ D’Harnoncourt. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 
Inc., 1930. 

Nathan, Adele. The Building of the First Transcon- 
tinental Railroad. Illustrated by Edward A. Wilson. 
New York: Random House, Inc., 1950. 

Nazaroff, Alexander. The Land of the Russian Peo- 
ple: Revised Edition. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippin- 
cott Company, 1953. 

Neurath, Marie. The Wonder World of Land and 
Water. New York: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Co., 
Inc., 1958. 

Nevil, Susan R. (author-illustrator) . Picture Story 
of the Middle East. New York: David McKay Com- 
pany, Inc., 1956. 

Nighbert, Esther. The True Book of Cloth. Illus- 
trated by Chauncey Maltman. Chicago: Childrens 
Press, Inc., 1955. 

Norling, Josephine and Ernest. Pogo’s Fishing Trip. 
New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1942. 

Pogo’s House. New York: Holt, Rinehart and 

Winston, Inc., 1941. 

Pogo’s Lamb. New York: Holt, Rinehart and 

Winston, Inc., 1947. 

Pogo's Mining Trip. New York: Holt, Rine- 
hart and Winston, Inc., 1945. 

Pogo’s Oil Well. New York: Holt, Rinehart 

and Winston, Inc, 1955. 

O’Donnell, Mabel and Elizabeth Bloss. Film Story 
Books. 8 volumes. Evanston, 111.: Row, Peterson & 
Co., 1951. 

Olds, Elizabeth (author-illustrator) . Deep Treasure. 
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1958. 

O’Neill, Hester. Picture Story of Norway. Illustrated 
by Ursula Koering. New York: David McKay Com- 
pany, 1951. 

Osmond, Edward (author-illustrator) . Houses. New 
York: The Macmillan Company, 1956. 

Paton, Alan. Land and People of South Africa. Phila- 
delphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1955. 

Pease, Josephine. This Is the World. Pictures by 
Esther Friend. Skokie, 111.; Rand McNally & Com- 
pany, 1944. 

Peattie, Rod and Lisa. The City. Illustrated by Benzi 
Tagawa. New York: Abelard-Schuman, Limited, 
1952. 



Children Seek Information about People and Places - 191 


Proctor, George L. Young Traveler in Sweden. Edited 
by Frances Clarke Sayers. New York: E. P. Dutton 
& Co., Inc., 1953. 

Quinn, Vernon. Picture Map Geography of Africa. 
Illustrated by Charles E. Pont. Philadelphia: J. B. 
Lippincott Company, 1952. 

Picture Map Geography of Canada and Alaska . 

Drawings and maps by DaOsimo. Revised. Phila- 
delphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1954. 

Raman, T. A. Let’s Read About India. Grand Rapids, 
Mich.: The Fideler Company, 1950. 

Rankin, Louise. Daughter of the Mountain. Illustrated 
by Kurt Wiese. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 
1948. 

Riedman, Sarah R. Let’s Take a Trip to a Cement 
Plant. New York: Abelard-Schuman, Limited, 1959. 

Riwkin-Brick, Anna. Eva Visits Noriko-San. Text by 
Astrid Lindgren. New York: The Macmillan Com- 
pany, 1957. 

Sia Lives on Kilimanjaro. Text by Astrid Lind- 
gren. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1958. 

and Astrid Lindgren (authors-illustrators) . My 

Swedish Cousins. New York: The Macmillan Com- 
pany, 1959. 

Robertson, Keith. Henry Reed, Inc. Illustrated by 
Robert McCloskey. New York: The Viking Press, 
Inc., 1959. 

Rosen f eld, Bernard. Let’s Go to the Capitol. Illus- 
trated by Gustav Schrotter. New York: G. P. Put- 
nam’s Sons, 1959. 

Let’s Go to the White House. Illustrated by 

Terry Robinson. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 
1959. 

Ross, Patricia Fent. Made in Mexico. Drawings by 
Carlos Meride. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 
1952. 

Sasek, Miroslav (author-illustrator). This Is Loiidon. 
New York: The Macmillan Company, 1959. 

This Is Paris. New York: The Macmillan Com- 
pany, 1959. 

This Is Rome. New York: The Macmillan 

Company, 1960. 

Savage, Katherine. People and Power: The Story of 
Three Nations. New York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 
1959. 

Saxon, Gladys R. All Around the Land. Illustrated 
by Jo Polseno. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Win- 
ston, Inc., 1958. 

Scarry, Patsy. Fun Around the World. Morristown, 
N. J.: Silver Burdett Company, 1957. 

Schools Around the World. Morristown, N. J.: 

Silver Burdett Company, 1957. 

Schlein, Miriam. City Boy, Country Boy. Illustrated 
by Katherine Evans. Chicago: Childrens Press, 1955. 

Schneider, Herman and Nina. Follow the Sunset. 
Pictures by Lucille Corcos. New York: Doubleday 
& Company, Inc., 1952. 


Seredy, Kate (author-illustrator). The Good Master . 
New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1935. 

Singh, R. Lai and Eloise Lownsbery. Gift of the 
Forest. Illustrated by Anne Vaughn. New York: 
Longmans, Green & Company, Inc., 1942. 

Snyder, Louis. The First Book of the Soviet Union. 
New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1959. 

Sondergard, Arensa. My First Geography of the 
Americas. Illustrated by Fritz Kredel. Boston: Lit- 
tle, Brown & Company, 1942. 

My First Geography of the Pacific. Illustrated 

by Cornelis. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 
1944. 

Sootin, Laura. Let’s Go to a Bank. Illustrated by 
Barbara Corrigan. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 
1957. 

Spencer, Cornelia. Made in China. Illustrated by 
Kurt Wiese. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1943. 

Made in India. Illustrated by Allen Lewis. 

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1953. 

Spencer, William. Land and People of Turkey. Phila- 
delphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1958. 

Spyri, Johanna. Heidi. Illustrated by Agnes Tait. 
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1880, 1948. 

Stefansson, Evelyn (author- illustrator) . Here Is the 
Far North. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1957. 

Steichen, Edward. The Family of Man. The photo- 
graphic exhibition for the Museum of Modern Art. 
New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1955. 

Sterling, Dorothy. Wall Street, the Story of the Stock 
Exchange. Photographs by Myron Ehrenberg. New 
York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1955. 

Stoddard, Edward. The First Book of Television. 
Pictures by Laszlo Roth. New York: Franklin Watts, 
Inc., 1955. 

Strong, Anna. Peoples of the USSR. Illustrated with 
photographs. New York: The Macmillan Company, 
1944. 

Stuart, Jesse. The Beatinest Boy. Illustrated by Rob- 
ert Henneberger. New York: Whittlesey House, 
1953. 

Sucksdorf, Astrid (author-photographer) . Chendru, 
the Boy and the Tiger. English version by William 
Sansom. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 
1960. 

Sutton, Felix. The Big Book of Cars. Pictures by 
Tom Hill. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, Inc., 1954. 

Tatham, Campbell (Mary Elting) . First Book of 
Trucks. Pictures by Jeanne Bendick. New York: 
Franklin Watts, Inc., 1952. 

Tensen, Ruth M. Come to the City. Photographs by 
Henry Staehle. Drawings by Phyllis Groff. Chicago: 
The Reilly & Lee Company, 1951. 

Thorne-Thomsen, Gudrun. In Norway. Illustrated by 
Eyvind Earle. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 
1948. 

Tolbloom, Wanda. People of the Snow. Maps by 



192 - Knowing Children’ s Literature 

Donald Pitcher. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 
1956 . 

Toor, Frances. Made in Italy. Illustrated by Earle 
Goodenow. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1957. 

Turner, Mina. Town Meeting Means Me. Illustrated 
by Lloyd Coe. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 
1951. 

Turngren, Annette. Flaxen Braids. Revised Edition. 
Illustrated by Polly Jackson. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: 
Prentice- Hall, Inc., 1959. 

Uchida, Yoshika. Takao and Grandfather’s Sword. 
Illustrated by William M. Hutchinson. New York: 
Harcourt, Brace 8c Company, 1958. 

United Nations Department of Public Information. 
A Garden We Planted Together. New York: Whit- 
tlesey House, 1952. 

Unnerstad, Edith. The Spettecake Holiday. Illustrated 
by Iben Clante. New York: The Macmillan Com- 
pany, 1958. 

Vandivert, William and Rita. Young Russia: Children 
of the USSR at Work and at Play. Photography by 
William Vandivert. New York: Dodd, Mead Sc Com- 
pany, 1960. 

Wagner, Ruth H. and Ivah Green. Put Democracy to 
Work. New York: Abelard-Schuman Limited, 1952. 

Wall, Gertrude Wallace. Gifts from the Forest. Photo- 
graphs by John Calvin Towsley. New York: Charles 
Scribner’s Sons, 1952. 

Gifts from the Grove. Photographs by John 

Calvin Towsley, et al. New York: Charles Scribner’s 
Sons, 1955. 

Wallace, John A. Getting to Know the USSR. Illus- 
trated by Don Lambo. New York: Coward-McCann, 
Inc., 1959. 

Webb, Nancy and Jean Francis. Hawaiian Islands. Il- 
lustrated by Isami Kashiwagi. New York: The Vik- 
ing Press, Inc., 1956. 


Webber, Irma. Thanks to Trees: The Story of Their 
Use and Conservation. New York: W. R. Scott, Inc., 
1952. 

Wells, Robert. What Does a Jet Pilot Do? Photographs 
by Harvey Lippman. New York: Dodd, Mead Sc 
Company, 1959. 

Werner, Elsa. The Golden Geography. Pictures by 
Cornelius DeWitt. New York: Simon & Schuster, 
Inc., 1952. 

Houses. Illustrated by Tibor Gergely. New 

York: Golden Press, 1955. 

White, Anne Terry. All About the Great Rivers of the 
World. Illustrated by Kurt Wiese. New York: Ran- 
dom House, Inc., 1957. 

Whitney, Phyllis A. The Secret of the Samurai Sword. 
Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1958. 

Witty, Paul and Julilly Kohler. You and the Consti- 
tution of the United States. Pictures by Lois Fisher. 
Chicago: Childrens Press, 1948. 

Wohlrabe, Raymond and Warner Krusch. Land and 
People of Germany. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott 
Company, 1957. 

Wolfe, Louis. Let’s Go to a City Hall. Illustrated by 
Terry Robinson. New York: G.' P. Putnam’s Sons, 
1959. 

Yashima, Taro (author-illustrator) . The Village Tree. 
New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1953. 

Yates, Elizabeth. Rainbow Round the World. Illus- 
trated by Betty Alden. Endpaper drawings by Dick 
Gnnghuis. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Com- 
pany, 1954. 

Zaffo, George J. (author-illustrator) . The Big Book of 
Real Trucks. New York: Grossett & Dunlap, Inc., 
1950. 

Building Your Superhighways. Garden City, 

N. Y.: Garden City Books, 1957. 



6 -Children Identify with Their 
Historical Heritage 


Mac was waiting at the door when Miss 
Harper came down the hall to open up the 
school library. He was small for a ten-year- 
old, but what he lacked in size was compen- 
sated for by his sparkling personality. He 
gave Miss Harper one of his disarming smiles 
and said, “Golly, I’m glad you’re here. Today 
is the day , isn’t it?’’ Miss Harper laughed 
and nodded. She had no difficulty under- 
standing his question; he’d been down to the 
library every day last week to see when the 
service committee would be finished prepar- 
ing the new books for circulation. She had 
promised him that they could be checked 
out today. He literally bolted to the shelf of 
new books and looked eagerly through the 
titles until he came to the one he wanted. 
With a sigh of relief he wrote his name on 
the card and stamped on the due date. He 
looked up at Miss Harper and his big brown 
eyes were shining with accomplishment, 
“Well, I got it before Jim did. Guess he 


didn’t think I’d get up early and catch a ride 
with Dave and his Dad — but it is worth it. 
You know, Miss Harper, sometimes I’m 
afraid to start another book by Steele for 
fear it won’t be as good as the last one. Guess 
I’ve read almost all he’s ever written — funny, 
and I didn’t use to like books about the 
olden days at all.’’ 

Miss Harper watched him settle himself 
in one of the large comfortable chairs in the 
reading section of the library. Miss Harper 
knew she’d probably have to remind him 
when the last bell rang; absorbed in reading, 
he sometimes didn’t hear it. She thought of 
his last remark “Funny, and I didn’t use to 
like books about the olden days at all.” She 
could remember him when he didn’t like 
books of any kind. He had loved story hours. 
She could remember him from first grade 
looking up at her from under the glasses 
which he had had to wear when he was 
younger — his eyes had been slightly crossed. 



194 - Knowing Children's Literature 

She recalled how disturbed she was that any 
child who loved stories so much should have 
difficulty learning to read. He could never 
settle down with a book when his class came 
down to the library for recreational reading 
in second and third grade. Then he'd been 
assigned Lucille Harris for his fourth-grade 
teacher. Lucille had had more success with 
nonreaders than any other teacher she knew; 
she always thought that it was because 
Lucille loved books so much herself. Anyway, 
she made special trips to the library with 
four boys who were her “late bloomers'* as 
she called them. They selected some of the 
easy informational books to read to each 
other; then she weaned them on some of the 
books by Bulla, and The Childhood of 
Famous American Series. Mac had wanted 
to read just the informational books and so 
she had let him. But in connection with their 
study of the Westward Movement, Miss 
Harper had read them Edmonds' Matchlock 
Gun and told them it was a true story. Mac 
checked it out four different times and that 
had been the beginning of his interest in 
reading and “the olden days.’’ Mac did every- 
thing with intensity; both Miss Harper and 
his fifth-grade teacher hoped his interest in 
reading became permanent. 

Children are creatures of the here and 
now. They have not developed an appreci- 
ation for their historical heritage. Their time 
concepts are inadequate and inaccurate. 
“The olden days" are apt to be “back when 
there wasn't any television." For young chil- 
dren, understanding of the time between the 
arrival of Columbus and the Pilgrims at the 
new world is in direct proportion to the 
calendar time between Columbus Day and 
Thanksgiving! The development of the un- 
derstanding of time concepts is a gradual 
growth process which extends over a period 
of several years. The placing of events in 
chronological order requires a mature level 
of dealing with time and is not expected of 
young children. Oakden and Sturt 1 found that 

1 E. C. Oakden and M. Sturt, “Development of the 

Knowledge of Time in Children/’ British Journal of 

Psychology, 12:309-336, April, 1922. 


the power to think of the past as different 
from the present does not seem to develop in 
children before eight years of age. It was also 
observed that periods of history were not 
understood until the age of eleven years. 
More recent studies 2 have tended to substan- 
tiate these findings. 

Children gradually establish their own 
frame of reference for time relationships by 
relating past events to their own personal 
experiences. Teachers should help children 
see their present place in time as part of a 
living past. They should help them under- 
stand that the way of life today is a result 
of what people did in the past, and that the 
present will influence the way people live in 
the future. The study of history can be the 
vantage point for observing the panoramic 
view of all that has happened to mankind. 
The study of history can also provide a vista 
of the future. 

Man would not be man without his his- 
torical heritage; everything he does is built 
on the lives and thoughts of people he never 
saw or knew. Homes, food, clothing, lan- 
guage, schools, beliefs, songs, games, all have 
developed from contributions of former gen- 
erations. Man is the only creature who can 
build on the past, who can profit from the 
experiences of others, and begin where others 
left off. The wisdom of the ages may be ac- 
cumulated, refined, and transmitted. Korzyb- 
ski 3 has identified this time-binding capacity 
of man to utilize and profit by the past as 
uniquely human. 

The past can be recreated as scenes, char- 
acters, and experiences are reconstructed in 
man’s imagination through other men's 
words. It makes little difference if these 
words were written this year or two hundred 
years ago. Through books, man may com- 

2 Frederick Pistor, “How Time Concepts Are Ac- 
quired by Children,” Educational Method , 20:107- 
112, November, 1940. 

Alvin W. Schindler, et al. “Developing a Sense of 
Time and Chronology,” Skills in the Social Studies, 
Twenty-fourth Yearbook. Washington, D. C.: Na- 
tional Council for the Social Studies, 1953. 

8 Alfred Korzybski, Manhood of Humanity. New 
York: E. P. Dutton & Company, 1921. p. 186. 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 195 


municate with the thoughts of past genera- 
tions and influence the thoughts of future 
generations. Thomas Carlyle once said: “In 
books lies the soul of the whole Past Time: 
the articulate audible voice of the Past, when 
the body and material substance of it has 
altogether vanished like a dream/' 

Even though children have difficulty estab- 
lishing exact time concepts, they can develop 
an appreciation of their historical heritage. 
Enthusiastic teachers can make the past live 


for children. Boys and girls also need a wide 
variety of materials to create interest. Al- 
though history textbooks have been im- 
proved in recent years, no single text can 
ever give children an appreciation and feel- 
ing for their historical heritage. Children's 
literature provides three types of books 
which enrich and extend children's study 
of history. These books include factual pre- 
sentations of history, biographies of great 
men of the past, and historical fiction. 


FACTUAL BOOKS OF HISTORY 


In the past ten years, the number of inter- 
esting, well-written factual books of history 
has increased. Prior to this time, most factual 
presentations were camouflaged by the pro- 
tective coloring of a story line. It was as- 
sumed that children did not want historical 
information presented in a straight factual 
manner. Later, children’s acceptance and de- 
mand for informational books of science led 
publishers to experiment with this type of 
book in the social studies area, including 
history. There are still more biographies and 
books of historical fiction than factual books 
of history for children. This distribution 
may be changed as more and better factual 
presentations of history are published. 

Criteria for Factual Books of History 

The criteria for informational books of his- 
tory differ little from those presented in 
Chapter 4, page 132. Informational books 
must be accurate and authentic. Facts must 
be presented clearly in both text and illustra- 
tions. The books should be well-organized 
so that they may be used for reference 
easily. Paragraph headings and an index are 
useful tools. The style of writing should be 
interesting and informational. Children dis- 
like books that “talk down'' to them. Infor- 
mational books should contain facts — not so 
many as to be encyclopedic, but more than 
the student already knows. The well-written 
factual book will answer a child's questions, 
but it will pose new ones too. His natural 


curiosity should be fed, but not satiated; for 
wonder and the curious mind are necessary 
ingredients for the development of wisdom. 
Factual books in history must be objective 
in their reporting. Where there are two sides 
to a question or event, both sides deserve a 
hearing. Children need to learn of mankind’s 
accomplishments and mistakes. Finally, fac- 
tual books can vitalize history, they can re- 
create the terror and temper of the times as 
vividly as fiction. 4 They can give children a 
sense of their place in the continuity of the 
stream of life. 

World History 

SURVEY BOOKS 

A few books attempt to give children a sur- 
vey of the important people, places and 
events in the history of the world. Hendrik 
Willem Van Loon's The Story of Mankind 
was the first book to interpret world history 
to children in an interesting and informa- 
tional fashion. This book, a pioneer in the 
field, received the first Newbery Award in 
1922. A new, enlarged edition was published 
in 1951; an indication that this story is as 
interesting to read today as it ever was. Van 
Loon was the first children's author to pre- 
sent factual information with humor and 
excitement. Others have followed the pattern 
which he was courageous enough to begin; 
few have been as successful. Peattie's A 
Child's Story of the World tells the history 

4 See Historical Fiction, pp. 221-230. 



196 - Knowing Children's Literature 

of mankind from the cave man through the 
first World War. The bold poster-like illus- 
trations by Naomi Averill add to the enjoy- 
ment of this book. The text is interestingly 
written but somewhat long. Parts of it might 
be read to children by their teachers. 
Dreany’s A Child's Book of Mankind 
Through the Ages presents a pictorial sur- 
vey of the history of man from the stone age 
to the development of the United Nations. 
The text is limited and sometimes over- 
simplified. For example, his description of 
the middle ages makes no mention of the 
role of the church or university in keeping 
learning alive, but flatly states: “The early 
Middle Ages, or dark ages, was a time of 
ignorance, cruelty, and disorder.” 5 The estab- 
lishment of the United States as a free nation 
is not included, and the reader is asked to 
leap from the exploration of the new world 
to the Westward Movement and then to the 
development of world trade. The parent or 
teacher using this book would have to pro- 
vide the needed interpolation. 

Watson’s The Golden History of the 
World is for older children and has a more 
detailed text. The colored illustrations by 
DeWitt illuminate and extend this survey 
of world history. Lancelot Hogben edited a 
small but interesting book titled How the 
World Was Explored. This book covers the 
whole story of exploration from the first 
people who made bridges and built forts to 
the young Norwegians who sailed Kon-Tiki 
on an uncharted course across the Pacific. 
Children are given the challenge and pro- 
phecy of exploration still to come on other 
planets, and the book ends with the ringing 
question, “What shall we discover next?” An 
earlier publication which emphasizes time 
relationships is aptly called Pegs of History 
and was written by Helen Fish. Based on 
important dates in history, this book would 
be most useful as a reference book for con- 
structing time lines. For example, three dates 
are illustrated for the Renaissance period, 

“Joseph E. Dreany, A Child*s Book of Mankind 
Through the Ages. New York: Maxton Publishers, 
Inc., 1955. p. 12 (unpaged) . 


namely, 1450, The Gutenberg Book; 1492, 
Columbus; and 1517, Luther and the begin- 
ning of the Reformation. 

Genevieve Foster has made notable and 
unique contributions to the interpretation 
of history for children. In two books, Birth- 
days of Freedom, Book One and Book Two, 
she has traced in a graphic story the growth 
of freedom from the time when man learned 
to use fire to the Fall of Rome. Her second 
book begins “On that small remote Roman 
Colony of Britain” and brings us thirteen 
centuries later to the shores of the new 
United States of America. These stories may 
be read in the pictures (one for each page), 
maps, and large type headings, or they may 
be followed more clearly in the text. In most 
instances, children will depend upon adults 
to use the books with them. These books suc- 
ceed in giving children an idea of man’s 
search for freedom. In Genevieve Foster’s 
own words: 

We must understand . . . how, little by little, 
laws were gained to secure a few of the rights and 
privileges we take as much for granted as the air 
we breathe. And then how those laws were broken, 
tyrants ruled again, and freedom that had been 
won was lost until in some other age and place, 
it would be born again. 

For freedom has never died. It cannot. An idea 
does not die. The idea of freedom lives on for- 
ever in the minds of men and when it becomes 
strong enough it breaks forth into words and ac- 
tions. It shows itself in ever changing ways and 
places. Each land and nation has had its heroes 
of freedom, its great teachers and prophets, its 
anniversaries or birthdays which it celebrates. 6 

A horizontal treatment of history is pre- 
sented in four other books by Mrs. Foster, 
George Washington's World, Abraham Lin- 
coln's World, Augustus Caesar's World, and 
The World of Captain John Smith: 1580- 
1631. Each of these books presents a time 
slice of history, a total picture of the world, 
historical, religious, cultural, social and eco- 
nomic, in relation to the span of one man’s 
life. The many illustrations, maps, and 

“Genevieve Foster, Birthdays of Freedom, Book 
One. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1952. p. 5 
(unpaged) . 




AND SOME EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE BETWEEN 27 AND 1 2 B.C 


Text and detailed illustrations present parallel events during the lifetime of one person. 
Authentic sketches and explanations show architecture, costume, and artifacts of the 
period. From Augustus Caesar's World 44 B.C. to 14 AX>. written and illustrated by 
Genevieve Foster. Scribner, 1947. 


charts give much information and graph- 
ically portray her theme of parallel events. 
Each story or event is well-written and could 
be read separately from the others. Continu- 
ity is given to all episodes by frequent men- 
tion of the life of the one man who serves 
as the pivotal point of the book. Teachers 
will want to read parts of these books to 
children; more mature readers will delight 
in reading them independently. Two indexes 
are included in each book, one for characters 
and another general one of nations, places, 
and events. 

SPECIALIZED BOOKS 

With the increased publication of factual 
books of history has come a corresponding 
increase in the trend toward specialization 
of subject matter. Shorter books are being 
written about a particular period or event. 


Series books, such as The First Books , The 
True Books, and the Landmark Books have 
recently added titles which are historical in 
nature. The majority of these books deal 
with American history; a few depict earlier 
times and events. 

William E. Scheele’s The Cave Hunters is 
the story of the migrant Neanderthal tribes 
and the Cro-Magnon hunters who conquered 
them. Text and dramatic black-and-white 
drawings present a picture of the clothing, 
customs, and art work of these two groups of 
men who lived in southwest Europe some fifty 
thousand years ago. Anne Terry White, in 
a World Landmark book titled The First 
Men in the World, describes the search made 
by scientists for the bones of prehistoric man. 
She identifies the Neanderthal, the Cro- 
Magnon, the Peking Man, and the Java-Ape 
Man. She includes a brief discussion of the 



198 - Knowing Children's Literature 

religious controversy which the discovery of 
these prehistoric men precipitated. 

Mrs. White has also written an excellent 
introduction to the science of archaeology in 
her Lost Worlds : Adventures in Archaeology. 
This book describes the search for four great 
civilizations: Crete, Egypt, Babylonia-Assyria, 
and the Maya of Central America. It in- 
cludes some excellent photographs. Estelle 
Friedman has presented a fascinating ac- 
count of the world of archaeology in her 
Digging Into Yesterday. All the suspense and 
excitement which accompanies every “dig" 
is conveyed to the reader in clear and descrip- 
tive language. The author re-creates the life 
of these ancient peoples as the archaeologists 
uncover clues. Children in the middle grades 
will be intrigued with the story of the “Curse 
of the Pharaohs" — how in seven years after 
the discovery of the tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen 
over twenty of the group who had first en- 
tered his burial chamber died. Mrs. Friedman 
tells of the thrilling discovery made by Hein- 


rich Schliemann, an amateur archaeologist, 
who followed a boyhood dream of finding 
ancient Troy. After months of digging he 
caught a flash of light. Quickly he told his 
wife to send the workmen home and the two 
of them continued to dig alone. He held his 
breath as he removed “a layer of red ashes 
five feet thick ... at last, with a big knife, 
he began to unearth golden objects — one 
after another. Hastily, without examining 
them, he hid them in Sophia’s shawl. The 
couple returned to their hut and locked the 
door ." 7 

An older book by Enid Meadowcroft titled 
The Gift of the River: A History of Ancient 
Egypt is still enjoyed by middle-grade read- 
ers. It includes quotations from original 
sources and illustrations from Egyptian ma- 
terial. The First Book of Ancient Rome by 
C. A. Robinson, Jr. is one of the few recent 
books about this culture. It is clearly written 

7 Estelle Friedman, Digging into Yesterday. New 
York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1958. p. 139. 




Action in illustrations may help 
children appreciate various as- 
pects of life in an historical pe- 
riod. From The First Book of 
Medieval Man by Donald Sobol. 
Illustrated by Lili Rethi. Frank- 
lin Watts, 1959. 


The pleasures of falconry were pursued by men and women alike 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 199 


and illustrated and gives a definite feeling 
for the people and the times. Olivia Coolidge 
has written two excellent books titled Egyp- 
tian Adventures and Roman People . Both of 
these require junior high school reading 
ability, however. This level of reading is also 
necessary for the enjoyment of Geoffrey 
Household's The Exploits of Xenophon and 
John Gunther’s Alexander the Great. All 
these books may be profitably read to chil- 
dren by their teachers. 

Donald J. Sobol has written a clear, inter- 
esting text for The First Book of Medieval 
Man. Excellent pictures help to describe the 
pattern and details of life in England during 
the Middle Ages. As the Feudal System is 
explained, new words are given in italics 
and then defined in the context. The book 
is indexed for easy reference. The accom- 
plishments of the period are summed up in 
the two statements that the man who came 
at the opening of the period lived by force; 
the man who came at the close, lived by law 
and order. John Lewellen in The True Book 
of Knights has presented much information 
in a simple, readable fashion. The illustra- 
tions by Frances Eckart portray many details 
concerning the various machines for war, the 
interiors of castles, and the armor of the 
knights. Boys in the third and fourth grades 
will enjoy reading this book independently. 

Walter Buehr has written and illustrated 
two informative and fascinating books about 
the Middle Ages; Knights and Castles and 
Feudal Life and The Crusaders. In his text, 
he frequently relates the customs of the medi- 
eval period to modern life. For example, he 
explains the laws of the feudal days in the 
following words: 

Now we are all subject to and protected by the 
same laws. It would be unthinkable for Chicago 
to declare war on Milwaukee over a piece of for- 
est land, or for the Mayor of St. Louis to collect 
tolls from all Mississippi ships carrying freight by 
his city 

Yet such things happened every day in Medieval 
Europe and they were accepted as proper. 8 

8 Walter Buehr, Knights and Castles and Feudal 
Life. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1957. p. 8. 


Buehr paints a vivid description of the 
peasant’s life of drudgery. There is specific 
information in this book on such matters as 
the cost and weight of a knight’s armor 
($12,000 at today’s values), the plan for a 
siege, how a castle was laid out, and how the 
people lived and worked. A glossary of terms 
would be very useful in this book. While 
most words are explained in context, such 
words as suzerain, machiolations, liege, fief, 
and fortalice need distinct definitions. 
Buehr’s description of The Crusaders is 
equally vivid and realistic. He answers such 
questions as: what were the forces which 
motivated the crusaders, how were battles 
fought, and finally when it was all over what 
did the Crusades accomplish for the world? 
The World Landmark book by Anthony 
West titled The Crusaders attempts to an- 
swer these questions also. It does not seem 
to capture the fervor and excitement of this 
movement as does the book by Buehr. Older 
children who are studying the Medieval 
Period may want the more detailed informa- 
tion which can be found in Fon Boardman's 
book, Castles. Boardman includes plans and 
photographs of specific castles in the British 
Islands and Europe along with some of their 
history. 

The emergence of the independent nations 
of the modern world is frequently described 
in books about individual countries. For ex- 
ample, The First Book of the Soviet Union 
by Snyder traces the development of the his- 
tory of that country. These books about indi- 
vidual countries were reviewed in Chapter 5. 

American History 

SURVEY BOOKS 

Many authors have written books which are 
historical surveys of the United States. Fran- 
ces Cavanah, in her book, Our Country's 
Stoiy, has written a fascinating introduction 
to American history for boys and girls in the 
middle grades. The colored illustrations by 
Janice Holland seem to flow and illumine 
the text. The reader can almost feel the 
movement of the wagon trains and the flat- 
boats. One senses the excitement of Paul 




Dramatic pen and ink draw- 
ings vividly re-create the pur- 
chase of Manhattan Island by 
the Dutch. From America Is 
Bom by Gerald Johnson. Il- 
lustrated by Leonard Everett 
Fisher. Morrow, 1960. 


Revere’s ride as he dashes into the darkness 
leaving behind the brilliant splashes of lights 
in the homes of the aroused citizenry. Al- 
though published in 1945, this is still a fine 
book. 

Two titles in The First Book series deal 
with American history, namely, Heal’s The 
First Book of America and Commager’s 
The First Book of American History. Heal's 
book includes more discussion of the early 
explorers and the Indians than does the lat- 
ter. Commager’s text is exciting from the 
very opening sentence, “Imagine discovering 
a new world!” This book is illustrated by 
dramatic black-and-white, and ochre-and- 
white drawings by Leonard Everett Fisher, a 
200 


name which is associated with some of the 
best illustrating in history books today. Com- 
mager traces the history of America from its 
discovery through the Second World War. 
He emphasizes that history is unfinished 
business, however, in his final words of the 
book: 


America had come a long way — but there was 
still a long way to go. For freedom is never com- 
pletely won, but must be won anew by each gen- 
eration. And freedom means not only freedom 
from tyranny or slavery, but freedom to grow up 
in a world of peace. So there is still plenty to do. 

All that you have read is merely preparation 
for the future. 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 201 


There is no reason why that future should not 
be even more wonderful than the past. 

But that is up to you. 9 

Gerald W. Johnson has recently completed 
two of a three-volume work which he is 
writing for his grandson, Peter, to help him 
know what it means to be an American. 
Written in beautifully clear prose, these 
books are as exciting as their virile black 
and white illustrations by Leonard Everett 
Fisher. There is clear, objective reporting in 
both America Is Born and America Grows 
Up. Johnson tells what people did and ex- 
plains how they felt about it. Above all, he 
captures the spirit of what it means to be an 
American, that it is in some ways better and 
in some ways worse to be an American than 
to be a man of any other nationality. He 
emphasizes that the American story is a con- 
tinued story that reaches far back into the 
past and includes the good and bad. “Part 
of the story is very fine, and other parts are 
very bad; but they all belong to it, and if 
you leave out the bad parts you never under- 
stand it all. Yet you must understand it if 
you are to make your part one of the fine 
parts.” 10 

The Rainbow Book of Atnerican Histoiy 
by Earl S. Miers is a large, well-illustrated 
chronological history from the Norsemen to 
the Atomic Age. Each story is accompanied 
by a forceful illustration by James Daugh- 
erty. This is a comprehensive volume. The 
interesting stories could be read individually, 
and include biographical sketches and fasci- 
nating descriptions of the Underground 
Railroad, The Dame Schools and Blab 
Schools, the dramatic story of Christmas at 
Bonner Lake, and the stirring report of the 
Chicago Fire. The book is well indexed and 
would be an excellent classroom reference. 
The Golden Book of America , adapted by 

•Henry Steele Commager, The First Book of 
American History. Pictures by Leonard Everett 
Fisher. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1957. p. 62. 

30 Gerald Johnson, (In an introductory letter to 
Peter) America Is Born. Illustrated by Leonard 
Everett Fisher. New York: William Morrow & Com- 
pany, Inc., 1958. p. viii and ix. 


Irwin Shapiro from the American Heritage 
Magazine, is a miscellany of Americana in- 
cluding both legend and fact. Boys would 
particularly enjoy the wonderful colored 
photographs of old maps, ship pictures, and 
paintings. An index provides ready reference 
to such topics as the bicycle crazes and Daniel 
Boone. Descriptions of old valentines and the 
American country store give a flavor of the 
“olden days” which will intrigue many older 
boys and girls. 

A unique contribution to the field of 
American history for children is Robert Law- 
son’s Watchwords of Liberty. By using more 
than fifty famous quotations, the author has 
told the story of our nation’s struggle and 
development. Lawson has written brief, vivid 
stories of the circumstances surrounding the 
spoken words and illustrated them with his 
usual superb black-and-white pen sketches. 

The survey book in history gives the child 
an overall view of historical development. 
He will turn to specialized books for deeper 
knowledge of the historical period which 
interests him. 

SPECIALIZED BOOKS 

Children’s needs for specific information 
have led to the publication of many books 
which deal with one aspect of American his- 
tory. These books treat particular groups of 
people, periods, and movements. 

Indians Stories of the Indians have always 
captured the imaginations of young America. 
Authentic, factual accounts of the way these 
early peoples lived are equally interesting 
to boys and girls. Elizabeth Baity has written 
a comprehensive description of the civiliza- 
tions of the inhabitants of this continent in 
her book Americans Before Columbus . Draw- 
ings by C. B. Falls and many photographs 
of buildings and artifacts illuminate the 
author’s detailed descriptions of the customs, 
costumes, the arts and crafts, and architecture 
characteristic of the various cultural patterns 
which developed in the Americas. Mature 
readers and teachers will want to use this 
book for a reference. Teachers could read 



202 - Knowing Children’s Literature 

the vivid stories which are interspersed 
among the direct factual accounts of Indians 
in both Americas. 

There are several detailed reference books 
concerning the American Indian. Authentic 
research is presented in the book by Edwin 
Tunis titled Indians. The life, clothes, food, 
homes, and customs of the many different 
tribes are described in text and accurate 
illustrations. William Moyers and David C. 
Cooke’s book, Famous Indian Tribes also 
presents accurate information on the five 
different types of Indians found in North 
America. The last chapter describes the loca- 
tion of the Indian tribes today. Children 
frequently study the early life of the Indians 
without reference to their present day status. 
This book and one by Fletcher called The 
American Indian includes the history of the 
Indians plus their long struggle for recogni- 
tion and citizenship in the land which was 
originally theirs. Fletcher’s coverage of the 
different tribes and their origin is excellent. 
The Hollings have written a readable but 
comprehensive volume. The Book of Indians. 
The authentic subject matter is written in 
narrative form. Six full-page colored illus- 
trations and many border pictures extend 
information given in the text. All these 
books are indexed and would be useful for 
both students and teachers. 

Different publishers’ series have books 
about the Indians. The True Book of Indi- 
ans by Teri Martini is one of the easiest. This 
presents a simple discussion of five different 
tribes, the Northwest Indians, the Plains 
Indians, the Pueblos, the Seminoles, and the 
Iroquois. Colored and black and white pic- 
tures illustrate their homes, the manner in 
which they obtained food, their dress, and 
their recreational activities. Children in third 
and fourth grade could easily read this book. 
The First Book series includes The First 
Book of Indians by Brewster and The First 
Book of the Indian Wars by Morris. They pre- 
sent their information in the straightforward 
factual manner that is characteristic of this 
excellent series. Anna Pistorius has written 
a book about Indians titled What Indian Is 


It? Following her usual format of asking 
questions and then giving brief concise an- 
swers, this book gives much information 
about different tribes, famous Indians and 
unusual customs. The brilliantly colored 
illustrations add to its appeal. 

Marion Israel has written two very useful 
books about specific tribes of.Indians, namely 
the Dakotas and the Apaches . She writes in- 
terestingly and simply about the Indians’ 
homes, land, and occupations. She discusses 
men’s work, women’s work, and the place of 
children and grandparents in these cultures. 
In her introduction to the Apaches, she em- 
phasizes that Indians today wear clothes like 
ours, the children go to schools, and that the 
tribe raises and sells cattle. These books are 
realistic accounts of different tribes of Indi- 
ans, their past and present. Sonia Bleeker, an 
anthropologist, has written a series of books 
about the various tribes of Indians which 
include such titles as The Chippewa Indians, 
The Crow Indians, and The Pueblo Indi- 
ans. These present semifictionalized stories 
against a rich, authentic background. The 
last chapter is factual and includes the his- 
tory of the tribe. She objectively describes 
both the good and cruel treatment of these 
Indians by the white man. Her books are in- 
dexed and would be more appropriate read- 
ing for children from the fifth grade up. The 
books by Marion Israel are for younger chil- 
dren from third through fifth grade. 

Robert Hofsinde has written several books 
about special aspects of the life of the Indi- 
ans; they include Indian Sign Language, In- 
dian Games and Crafts, Indian Beadwork, 
Indian Picture Writing, The Indian and His 
Horse, and The Indian's Secret World . These 
books have a special appeal for boys who are 
interested in Indian lore, crafts, and codes. In 
all of his writings, Hofsinde insists upon au- 
thenticity and less “blood and thunder’’ in 
the illustrations as well as the text. 

Explorers The majority of books for chil- 
dren which relate stories of the explorations 
of the new world are biographies. (See pages 
209-2 1 5.) Roger Duvoisin has written and illus- 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 203 


trated a book about the discovery of America 
titled And There Was America. In simple 
text, the author tells of the early explorers 
from Leif Ericson to the early colonists of 
Plymouth and Jamestown. Alice Dalgliesh 
has covered much of the same period in her 
excellent book, America Begins: The Story 
of the Finding of the New World. The many 
illustrations by Lois Maloy add to the at- 
tractiveness of this presentation. Johanna 
Johnston has written a large and colorful 
book about the Vikings’ explorations. Both 
text and illustrations provide details of cos- 
tumes, ships, and equipment. Children will 
enjoy this exciting description of these little- 
known explorers. 

Colonists There are many books which pre- 
sent slightly fictionalized but accurate stories 
of the Pilgrims. With simplicity and dignity 
Alice Dalgliesh recounts the events that led 
to the founding of Plymouth and the cele- 
bration of the first Thanksgiving. Helen 
Sewell’s simple, stylized drawings make this 
book. The Thanksgiving Story, one which 
deserves to be shared with all children from 
seven years of age and up. Two books by 
Hays, Christmas on the Mayflower and Pil- 
grim Thanksgiving, are enjoyed by this same 
age group. Weisgard’s simple and attractive 
illustrations enrich the text. Meadowcroft’s 
book, The First Year tells of the hardships 
of these Pilgrims in a way that makes them 
very real people. Her description of the in- 
terior of the ship’s cabin would help present- 
day children identify with the feeling, sound, 
and smell of the Mayflower. 

It was almost dark in the cabin. The little ship 
still rolled and tossed. It was not yet safe to light 
the oil lamps or the candles. 

All day the ship had been thrown about by the 
great waves. Everything in the cabin was upset. 
Boxes and cases would not stay in place. They 
slid back and forth across the cabin floor with 
each toss of the ship. 

Some of the littlest children cried with fear. 
Many of them had been fastened in their bunks 
so that they would not be hurt by the sliding 
boxes, or be thrown to the floor when the ship 
pitched. 


The older boys and girls took care of the 
younger ones as they sat on benches at the long 
table in the center of the room and told each 
other stories. 

Many of the women lay in their bunks too ill 
to move. Others who were well enough tried to 
care for them. . . . n 

The Pilgrims do not seem as real in Mil- 
dred Comfort’s Children of the Mayflower, 
but the reader does get a picture of life in 
these hard times. James Daugherty has writ- 
ten a Landmark Book titled The Landing of 
the Pilgrims . This is a well-written, exciting 
story for older boys and girls. 

Mildred Comfort has also written a book 
called Children of the Colonies . In this story 
she presents the life of one family who live 
on a large plantation in Virginia. There is 
no plot, but continuity is given to the story 
in the anticipation and arrival of a new 
tutor for the children of the family. Informa- 
tion about the other colonies is given as 
Robin takes a trip to New York and Phila- 
delphia. The conversation in this book is 
natural and might provide the basis for some 
creative dramatization. 

The First Book of the Early Settlers by 
Louise Dickinson Rich describes in realistic 
terms the early settlements of Plymouth, 
New Amsterdam, Delaware, and Jamestown. 
There is no mincing of words in Mrs. Rich's 
vivid telling of the hardships faced by the 
colonists at Jamestown: 

... As the days grew shorter and colder, food 
became more and more scarce. They ate acorns, 
nuts, roots, fruits, whatever they could find. Then 
they ate the dogs. Then they caught frogs and 
snakes and toads and ate them. 

It was what has become known as the “Starving 
Time," and starve they really did. Jamestown be- 
came a settlement of walking skeletons and scare- 
crows, of bundles of skin and bones and rags, 
hardly able to crawl in and out of their miserable 
hovels. When Smith left, there had been over five 
hundred people in the colony. By spring only 
about sixty of them were alive . 12 

” Enid La Monte Meadowcroft, The First Year. 
Revised edition. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 
1946. p. 17. 

18 Louise Dickinson Rich, The First Book of the 
Early Settlers. Pictures by Douglas Gorsline. New 
York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1959. p. 17. 



204 - Knowing Children 9 s Literature 

Edwin Tunis, in his book Colonial Living, 
has presented a comprehensive treatment of 
the everyday life, clothes, homes, and furni- 
ture of the seventeenth and eighteenth cen- 
turies. Illustrated with many detailed and 
fascinating drawings, this book is more suit- 
able for older children. 

The stories of two cities are presented in 
the Petershams' beautiful book The Silver 
Mace, a Story of Williamsburg, and Janice 
Holland’s They Built a City: the Story of 
Washington, D. C. The Petershams have 
pictured the famous buildings of Williams- 
burg and the interesting shops along Glou- 
cester Street. A clear but brief account of the 
growth of the colonial capital is given. The 
authentic and beautifully colored pictures 
of the Royal Palace, the Capitol, and Bruton 
Parish Church, plus the many illustrations 
of the shops and the people make this book 
one which will be enjoyed by children of all 
ages. Children fortunate enough to have 
visited the restored city of Williamsburg will 
be especially interested in this book. Janice 
Holland’s book is a picture book also. The 
author tells how the plan of the master 
architect, Pierre Charles L’Enfant, was finally 
realized in the development of our national 
capital. Both the present and the past are 
incorporated in this interesting volume. 

The story of the Revolution is presented 
in Morris’ The First Book of the American 
Revolution, Lancaster’s The American Revo - 
lution, Bliven’s The American Revolution, 
and Cook’s The Golden Book of the Ameri- 
can Revolution . The first three books are 
well-written, straightforward accounts of 
the causes of the Revolution, the action in- 
volved, and the characters of the men who 
made it. The First Book of the American 
Revolution is strikingly illustrated by Leon- 
ard Fisher. The Golden Book of the Ameri- 
can Revolution is adapted from the Ameri- 
can Heritage Press and includes many 
excellent pictures of maps, uniforms, various 
arms and other museum objects. All these 
books require a reading ability of fifth grade 
or above. 

Henry Steele Commager has analyzed two 


great documents of history in his penetrating 
and comprehensive books The Great Dec- 
laration and The Great Proclamation . These 
books clarify the complex issues which sur- 
rounded the writing of both of these docu- 
ments. By quoting from original letters and 
journals, the author places the reader in the 
midst of these dramatic times. The books are 
difficult to read, however, and would prob- 
ably best be interpreted by a teacher. 

Pioneers The rigors of pioneer life and the 
westward movement are vividly described in 
T he First Book of Pioneers by Walter Havig- 
hurst and The True Book of Pioneers by 
Mabel Harmer. A favorite book of many chil- 
dren is Holling C. Holling’s beautiful Tree in 
the Trail. This is the story of the events that 
occurred under one cottonwood tree which 
stood near the Santa Fe Trail. Finally the 
tree is struck by lightning and dies. Its wood 
is made into an oxen yoke and the tree itself 
“takes to the trail." The dramatic, colorful 
pictures by Holling C. Holling make this a 
handsome book. Frequently classified as fic- 
tion, it conveys a wealth of information both 
in its text and the many marginal drawings. 
The story of the “tree in the trail" lends con- 
tinuity to a fascinating factual book. Edith 
Dorian and W. N. Wilson have told the story 
of how our nation moved West in their book 
Trails West and Men Who Made Them . 
Exciting and true stories about the Wilder- 
ness Road, the National Road, Natchez 
Trace, and the Santa Fe Trail are included. 
The book ends with the descriptions of the 
Oregon Trail and the famous Chisholm 
Trail. Detailed black-and-white drawings 
and maps add to the informational content 
of this book. Children in grades five through 
seven will enjoy the many Landmark Books 
which describe this period. This series in- 
cludes the following titles: The Santa Fe 
Trail by Samuel Hopkins Adams, Trappers 
and Traders of the Far West by James 
Daugherty, T o California by Covered Wagon 
by Stewart, The First Overland Mail by 
Pinkerton, The California Gold Rush by 
McNeer and The Pony Express by Adams. 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 205 


Civil War Period Other than biographies, 
there are few factual books for children be- 
low the fifth grade level on the Civil War 
period. Fletcher Pratt has presented a factual 
account of this war in his book, The Civil 
War. Colonel Red Reeder has written The 
Story of the Civil War, concentrating on its 
battles and strategies. It is a companion vol- 
ume to the author's The Story of the Revo- 
lutionary War. Earl Schenck Miers writes 
impartially of the attitudes of the North and 
South in his book Billy Yank and Johnny 
Reb; How They Fought and Made Up. The 
author presents the factors which lead to 
the conflict simply and clearly. Landmark 
Books of the period include such titles as: 


BIOGRAPHY 

While contemporary children appear to en- 
joy factual accounts of their past, they prefer 
history when it is told as a living story. The 
biographical narrative fulfills this need for 
the story “that really happened.” Biography 
for children has reached a new high level of 
popularity. Intermediate-age children are 
seeking identification with others outside 
their family circle. They want the approval 
of their peers. They are beginning to develop 
“crushes” on favorite teachers, camp coun- 
selors, sports figures, and movie stars. It is 
only natural that their reading choices would 
reflect this hero worship. Biographies extend 
the child's opportunity for identification, 
not only with those who are great today, but 
with those who have lived greatly in the 
past. 

Biography fulfills children's needs for iden- 
tification with someone “bigger” than they 
are. In this day of mass conformity it may 
give them new models of greatness to emu- 
late. The reading of biography serves another 
function, however, and that is to make the 
past live. Carlyle has said that “biography is 
the only true history.” By consistent reading 
of fine biographies, children will develop an 
appreciation and understanding of our heri- 


Robert E. Lee and the Road of Honor by 
Carter, The Monitor and the Merrimac by 
Pratt, Gettysburg by MacKinlay Kan tor and 
others. 

Twentieth Century Factual books for chil- 
dren concerning events in the twentieth cen- 
tury are very few indeed. The First Book se- 
ries has a title for both World War I and 
World War II. These books are for older 
children, but they are well done. Editorials 
from different papers are quoted, slogans are 
described. Critical reading and discussions 
could be engendered by reading these books. 
Historical fiction will also help children un- 
derstand recent events. 


tage that may not be obtained in any other 
manner. 

Publishers have been quick to recognize 
and capitalize upon children's interest in 
biographies. Series has followed series until 
the proliferation of titles overwhelms teach- 
ers, children, and parents. We begin to lose 
sight of a single biography of outstanding 
quality amidst the shelves of mass-produced 
ones. Children, and even teachers, ask for 
books by the publisher’s trade name or the 
color of the cover, rather than by author or 
title. There are some fine biographies which 
have been written for children; there are 
many mediocre ones. The task of the teacher 
and librarian is to distinguish between them. 

Criteria for Juvenile Biography 

The criteria for evaluating biographies for 
boys and girls differ somewhat from those 
established for juvenile fiction. (See page 
22.) They also diverge from generally ac- 
cepted patterns for adult biography. The 
reader will see certain similarities to these 
literary forms, however. 

Primarily, children read for recreation and 
entertainment. This does not mean that they 
do not learn in the process of their reading 



206 - Knowing Children's Literature 

— they do. But it does mean that when chil- 
dren read by choice they usually read for 
enjoyment, not education. They read biog- 
graphy as they read fiction — for the story or 
plot . Children demand events and fast action. 
In biography these events become even more 
exciting because “they really happened/' 
Children want biography to be written as 
a story with continuity; they do not want a 
collection of facts and dates. The encyclo- 
pedia gives them facts in a well-organized 
fashion. 

CHOICE OF SUBJECT 

This demand for events and “happenings" 
imposes certain limitations upon the choice 
of subjects portrayed in juvenile biography. 
Most of the biographies for children are 
about the more familiar American figures 
of the past, particularly those whose lives 
offered the readiest action material. It is 
more difficult to interest children in a biog- 
raphy of Thomas Jefferson, who made his 
greatest contributions to the world of ideas, 
than the action-packed story of Daniel Boone 
or Kit Carson. 

Writers generally accept the principle that 
children's biography should be limited to 
those subjects whose lives are worthy of 
emulation. These may be the famous and 
great leaders of our nation such as Washing- 
ton, Lincoln, and Jefferson; or they may be 
unknown common people who have lived 
great lives as represented by the story of 
Amos Fortune , Free Man . The lives of Na- 
poleon and Hitler have proved interesting 
subjects for adult biography but would prob- 
ably not be considered appropriate for the 
juvenile field. In certain instances, dark 
shadows in a person’s life are simply omitted 
from biography for children. In writing the 
biography of Hamilton, for example, authors 
Anna and Russel Crouse did not emphasize 
the fact that Alexander Hamilton was an 
illegitimate child. They did not deliberately 
alter any facts of his life, but simply never 
referred to his parents as husband and wife. 
Another liberty allowed biographers in the 


field of juvenile literature is the presentation 
of a portion of the subject's life. Frequently, 
the stories will end before tragedy or an un- 
savory incident occurs. In writing about 
Abraham Lincoln for boys and girls, the 
d’Aulaires omitted his assassination and 
closed the book with the end of the Civil 
War. 

CHARACTERIZATION 

Characterization of the subject must be true 
to life. The reader should have the oppor- 
tunity not only to know about him but to 
know him as a human being with both short- 
comings and virtues. There is danger in over- 
dramatizing greatness. The result will be the 
story of a hero who never emerges from his 
accomplishments as a vibrant living person. 
Martin suggests that many of the characters 
in biographical series are cut from the same 
pattern: 

"There is a convention that great men and 
women invariably started out as normal and like- 
able youngsters, good mixers, and good sports. 
There is no inkling of the fact that loneliness 
and oddity often bear a dark fruit of their own. 
By pushing these books, we muff our best chance 
to show children that the awkward child, the poor 
athlete, the boy who comes to school in funny 
clothes may be the Lincoln or the Thomas Edison 
of the future." 13 

Biography must not degenerate into mere 
eulogy. Neither should it include “debunk- 
ing." Worthy subjects should be selected and 
so portrayed that they come alive for the 
reader. The background of their lives, their 
conversations, their thoughts, and their 
actions should be presented as faithfully to 
the facts as possible. 

STYLE 

Fictionalized biography is the generally ac- 
cepted form for juveniles. This type of biog- 
raphy is grounded in thorough research but 
allows the author more freedom to dramatize 

13 Fran Martin, "Stop Watering Down Biogra- 
phies,” Junior Libraries , Volume 6: p. 9, December, 
1959. 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 207 


certain events and personalize the subject. 
It makes use of the narrative rather than the 
analytical approach. Children do not want 
detailed interpretations and explanations. 
They come to know the character of the sub- 
ject as presented through his actions, deeds 
and conversations. In fictionalized biography, 
the author may invent dialogue and even 
include the unspoken thoughts of the sub- 
ject. These conversations are usually based 
upon actual facts taken from diaries and 
journals of the period. Clara Ingram Judson, 
a well-known biographer in the juvenile 
field, emphasizes the importance of authen- 
tic conversation in the foreword of her book, 
A braham Lincoln, Friend of the People . She 
states: 

As I began writing, I saw that life is not a mere 
tale to be told: it includes talk as well as action. 
Talk is a kind of alchemy that brings reality. So 
parts of my story are told through conversations. 
When actual words are a matter of authentic rec- 
ord, those words are used. When such record is 
lacking, but the incident is true, talk is recon- 
structed — much as the cabins are — from records 
and letters and the well-known manner of talk of 
each time and place. 14 

When the biography consists entirely of 
reconstructed conversation it becomes bio- 
graphical fiction. Some authors intend to 
write this type. An example of the best of this 
form is Lawson’s hilarious Ben and Me, 
the story of Benjamin Franklin as told by 
his mouse, Amos. The facts of Franklin’s 
life are truly presented, but Amos takes the 
credit for most of his accomplishments! Law- 
son used the same pattern for his readable 
Mr. Revere and 1 which is the story of Paul 
Revere as told by his horse. 

THEME 

Underlying all biography, whether it be his- 
torical biography, fictionalized biography, or 
biographical fiction, is the author’s interpre- 
tation of his subject. No matter how impar- 
tial an author may be, he cannot write a life 

14 Clara Ingram Judson, in “ Author's Note,” Abra- 
ham Lincoln, Friend of the People . Chicago: Follett 
Publishing Company, 1957. p. ii. 


story without some interpretation. The very 
selection of facts which a biographer chooses 
to present may limit the dimensions of his 
portraiture, or highlight certain features. 
The quality of a person’s character (particu- 
larly one who is no longer living) must be 
deduced from known deeds, letters, diaries, 
pictures, canceled checks, and others' memo- 
ries of him. Outward facts must always be 
interpreted. The most common man has sev- 
eral facets to his life; the great are apt to be 
multidimensional. These various interpreta- 
tions and emphases by the author become 
the theme of a biography. In the well-written 
biography this theme is clearly presented. 

AUTHENTICITY 

Authenticity is the hallmark of good bio- 
graphical writing whether it is for adults or 
children. More and more writers of juvenile 
biography are acknowledging the sources of 
their materials either in an introductory note 
or an appendix. Conscientious authors of 
well-written children’s biography frequently 
travel to the locality of the setting in the 
book in order to get a “feeling” for place. 
They will visit museums to study actual ob- 
jects that were used by their subjects; they 
will spend hours poring over original letters 
and documents. Much of this research may 
not be used in the actual biography. Its effect 
will be evidenced by the author’s true insight 
into the character of his subject, by the ac- 
curacy of the historic detail, and by his re- 
spect for verifiable reporting. Parson Weems 
was successful in perpetuating the unrealistic 
myth of George Washington and his cherry 
tree upon generations of Americans. Modern 
biographers have more respect for fact and 
do not have to resort to the invention of 
moralistic stories to emphasize the worthy 
attributes of their subjects. They are much 
more concerned about presenting a true and 
accurate picture of a human being who once 
lived in a certain period and place, but who 
can live again in a child’s imagination and 
appreciation. 

Many modern biographies for children are 



208 - Knowing Children's Literature 

illustrated. This same kind of painstaking 
research should be reflected in the accuracy 
of the illustrations which convey the time, 
place, and setting. The costumes of the per- 
iod, the interiors of the houses, the very 
utensils which are used must be authentic 
representations. Most difficult of all, perhaps, 
is the actual portrayal of the subject. There 
are many paintings and even photographs of 
some of our national heroes. Usually their 
features were recorded for posterity after 
they had achieved their fame. What did 
George Washington, or Thomas Jefferson, or 
Abraham Lincoln look like as a child? Here 
the artist must attempt to paint the child 
with his future appearance in mind. The 
d'Aulaires in their book Abraham Lincoln 
have pictured the transition of Abe from boy 
to man in a most believable fashion. His 
buckskin breeches always seem too short and 
his gangling awkwardness becomes increas- 
ingly apparent as he reaches adolescence. 
Abraham Lincoln grows up, matures, is happy, 
worried, and saddened in the d’Aulaires’ pic- 
tures as well as their text. 

Biographical Series 

Biographical series continue to spawn at such 
a rapid pace that they threaten to engulf 
readers of juvenile biography. Certain figures 
in American history have been presented too 
many times by too many books in the same 
stereotyped manner. Sometimes authors have 
written books to fill gaps in publishers’ lists 
of proposed titles rather than to fulfill their 
own consuming desire to portray for children 
the life of a certain worthy man. The quality 
of the books within each series varies with 
the ability and interest of the author. This 
calls for an individual evaluation of the 
merits of each book plus the added considera- 
tion of the need for another title about this 
particular subject. These decisions and selec- 
tions must be made personally by librarians 
and teachers on the basis of the school library 
collection. A knowledge of the distinguish- 
ing characteristics of each series will be help- 
ful for selecting biographies. 


THE CHILDHOOD OF FAMOUS AMERICANS 

SERIES 

This series is published by Bobbs-Merrill and 
was one of the first to popularize biography 
for children. These books are really more 
fictional than biographical as they attempt 
to reconstruct the childhood of real persons. 
The emphasis in all these stories is upon “the 
growing-up” of famous people. Usually, only 
the last chapter is devoted to their accom- 
plishments as adults. The portrayals tend to 
be oversimplified success stories. There are 
over 150 titles in this series representing a 
wide variety of American men and women 
who left an imprint in our history and cul- 
ture. Stories of more women and less well- 
known people are included in this series 
than in any of the others. The books contain 
much dialogue and the stories move quickly. 
Designed for self-reading by eight- to twelve- 
year-olds, this particular series of books has 
probably lured more children into becoming 
independent readers of library books than 
any other series. The format now has under- 
gone revision to include colored illustrations 
and a more attractive cover. For years chil- 
dren have referred to these volumes as the 
“little orange books.” Formerly they were 
illustrated with black and white silhouettes. 
Although many authors have written these 
books, the names of Augusta Stevenson, 
Miriam Mason and Guernsey Van Riper, Jr. 
have been identified with several titles in the 
series. 

THE SIGNATURE BOOKS 

The Signature Books edited by Enid Mead- 
owcroft and published by Grosset are strictly 
fictionalized biographies of well-known 
American heroes. These stories are written 
with dramatic beginnings and incorporate 
much conversation. They are excellent for 
slow readers and are usually recommended 
for the nine to fifteen age group. They are 
written by well-known writers in the juvenile 
field including such authors as Iris Vinton, 
Nina Brown Baker, and Hazel Wilson. The 
format is not always consistent with the writ- 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 209 


ing. The simple pen and ink drawings add 
little to the stories. 

THE LANDMARK SERIES 

This popular series, published by Random 
House, is probably the most advertised and 
well-known of all the series books. These 
books are written about events, places, per- 
sonalities and movements that are landmarks 
in history. Some of the books emphasize 
events more than particular people and are 
not biographical. Thus, the series may in- 
clude two books on a similar subject but 
with a different emphasis, for example, 
George Washington: Frontier Colonel by 
Sterling North and The Winter at Valley 
Forge by Van Wyck Mason. The recent addi- 
tion of World Landmark books has widened 
the variety of subjects considerably. The 
books in this series, for the most part, are 
written by well-known authors of adult 
works. The list of writers includes such out- 
standing names as Margaret Cousins, Pearl 
S. Buck, Thomas Costain, MacKinlay Kan- 
tor, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, and many 
others. Some prominent authors in the ju- 
venile field have also written for this series, 
for example, Armstrong Sperry, Jim Kjel- 
gaard, May McNeer, and James Daugherty. 
The books are checked by consulting his- 
torians for authoritative information in text, 
illustrations, and maps. Designed for a read- 
ing level from age ten through sixteen, this 
series requires greater skill in reading than 
the other two series mentioned. 

THE REAL PEOPLE SERIES 

These “unitexts" are published by Row, 
Peterson under the directorship of Frances 
Cavanah. The booklets have been prepared 
as supplementary texts for social studies. 
Many have been written by well-known 
writers of juvenile biography and include 
such names as Armstrong Sperry, Clara 
Ingram Judson, and Carol Ryrie Brink. 
While these booklets are only thirty-six pages 
in length, they are expertly written and give 
an authentic picture of their subjects. A 


unique feature of this series is seen in the 
treatment of the dialogue. Words which were 
actually used by the historical characters 
are set off by quotation marks in a bold-faced 
type. Imagined conversation is indicated by 
“regular" quotation marks. All of these book- 
lets include a picture calendar of the subject 
and his times. This helps the reader to place 
the person in history, to know people who 
lived at the same time as he, and the events 
that were taking place concurrently. 

There are other series of biographies, the 
Makers of America series by Abingdon, The 
Lives to Remember series by Putnam, The 
Living Biography series by Roy Publishers, 
and many more. Some firms publish biogra- 
phies with similar format and title but do 
not list them as a series. Houghton Mifflin 
has published four outstanding titles: Ameri- 
ca’s Paul Revere by Esther Forbes, America’s 
Ethan Allen by Stewart Holbrook, America’s 
Robert E. Lee by Henry Steele Commager, 
and America’s Abraham Lincoln by May 
McNeer. These are well-written authentic 
biographies beautifully illustrated by Lynd 
Ward. They deserve individual recognition 
which they might not receive if they were 
considered as just another series. 

Well-Known Biographers of Juvenile 
Literature 

Some of the best biography for children has 
been written by individual writers not con- 
nected with series books. While mention 
cannot be made of all of the writers who 
have contributed to this special area of ju- 
venile biography, students of children’s 
literature will want to become acquainted 
with some of the books by the following 
authors: 

1NGRI AND EDGAR PARIN d’AULAIRE 

This husband and wife team has written out- 
standing picture-book biographies. Their 
titles include George Washington, Abraham 
Lincoln (for which they received the Calde- 
cott Award in 1940), Buffalo Bill , Pocahontas, 
Columbus, Benjamin Franklin, and Leif, the 



210 - Knowing Children's Literature 

Lucky. These are large books with full-page 
lithographs in vivid colors on every other 
page. Large black-and-white pictures are 
on the alternate pages and many small pic- 
tures are interspersed throughout the books. 
The illustrations match the text beautifully. 
The d’Aulaires, who were not born in this 
country, bring a fresh new perspective to 
their writing and illustrating of these Ameri- 
can heroes. In Abraham Lincoln they have 
captured the homespun humor and philoso- 
phy of the man. One seven-year-old child 
having just heard the d’Aulaires’ Abraham 
Lincoln , commented that she thought it was 
an honest book. When she was asked why 
she used that word, she replied, “The pic- 
tures look honest, they look real!” 

The d’Aulaires’ story of Columbus is one 
of the few for younger children which in- 
cludes his discouraging last voyages. They 
picture his bitterness with sympathetic under- 
standing but do not gloss over the facts. 
These books are authentic in both text and 
illustration. Teachers in kindergarten and 
first grade will want to show the pictures as 
they tell certain portions of these stories to 
children. Second- and third-graders enjoy 
hearing the stories read aloud. More mature 
readers of the third and fourth grades can 
read them independently. 

ESTHER AVERILL 

In the juvenile field, there are very few his- 
torical biographies in the true sense of this 
term. Perhaps Esther Averill has come closer 
to writing such a book in her Cartier Sails 
the St. Lawrence than many other biogra- 
phers of children’s books. The text is taken 
mainly from Cartier’s own logbooks and 
letters. Miss Averill’s account of his three 
voyages up the St. Lawrence makes fascinat- 
ing reading for boys from the fourth through 
eighth grade. The black and white illustra- 
tions by Rojankovsky add greatly to the 
adventure of this historical reporting of ex- 
ploration in the New World. Miss Averill 
and Rojankovsky also collaborated on a 
picture biography of Daniel Boone. 


NINA BROWN BAKER 

This author has produced many nicely writ- 
ten, documented biographies for young 
people. Her books on Bolivar, Juarez, Peter 
the Great, Lenin, Sun Yat-Sen, and Sir 
Walter Raleigh are for the mature reader in 
high school. Children in the fifth and sixth 
grades thoroughly enjoy her biographies of 
Amerigo Vespucci and Zebulon Pike. 

In Amerigo Vespucci, Baker presents a 
fascinating picture of the man who did not 
discover the New World, but who was the 
first to know it was new. When cartographers 
decided that this theory was correct, they 
named the new land “America” for the man 
who had first realized it was truly new. 

The author has particular talent for help- 
ing the reader imagine what it must have 
been like to have lived in Vespucci’s day. 
She draws comparisons between the people’s 
curiosity about the East and the contempo- 
rary world's curiosity about space. People 
wondered in those days — they wonder today. 
In the author’s own words: 

By these products, Europeans knew that the 
Oriental countries existed. They knew that one 
Italian, Marco Polo, had visited them nearly two 
centuries ago, and returned to tell the tale 

And that was all they did know. The geography 
of the East had the same fascination that science 
fiction has today. People speculated on life in 
Asia as they speculate now about life on Mars. 
So far only Columbus had been bold enough to 
seek a way to the fabled lands. 15 

In Pike of Pike's Peak , Mrs. Baker has 
presented a revealing portrait of a soldier 
who loved peace. This is an exciting and 
well-written biography. This same author 
has helped children see the romance and 
excitement that can be found in a vocation 
of business in her two books, Big Catalogue: 
the Life of Montgomery Ward, and Nickels 
and Dimes: the Story of F. W. Woolworth. 
The biographies by Nina Brown Baker are 
readable and have wide appeal for young 
people. 

15 Nina Brown Baker, Amerigo Vespucci. New York: 
Alfred A. Knopf, 1956. p. 41. 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 211 


CLYDE BULLA 

Clyde Bulla has a special talent for writing 
interesting and exciting stories which can be 
read independently by third graders. Among 
his many books, there are two very popular 
biographies — Squanto, Friend of the White 
Man and John Billington, Friend of Squanto. 
The true story of Squanto is one which has 
always appealed to children for it is filled 
with adventure, anxiety, and pathos. They 
identify readily with this Indian who spent 
some eight years in England. They rejoice 
when Squanto has the opportunity to return 
home, but are dismayed when he is captured 
and sent back across the Atlantic to be sold 
as a slave in Spain. Clyde Bulla tells this 
moving tale with simplicity and dignity. The 
pictures by Peter Burchard are as forceful as 
the text. The story of John Billington, while 
not as moving as that of Squanto, is perhaps 
more fun. For John was a spirited and irre- 
pressible young Pilgrim lad who worried his 
elders with his escapades. His capture by un- 
friendly Indians was mediated by his friend 
Squanto and peaceful relations with this 
tribe resulted. 

ALICE DALGLIESH 

Miss Dalgliesh has written two outstanding 
picture biographies for younger children: 
The Columbus Story illustrated by Leo 
Politi and Ride on the Wind illustrated by 
Georges Schreiber. The Columbus Story is a 
straightforward account of his boyhood, his 
difficulties obtaining support for his venture, 
and his successful first voyage. The pictures 
by Politi are striking in their simplicity and 
clarity. They are perfectly suited to this 
dignified biography of the discoverer of the 
New World. At long last, teachers of the first 
and second grades have an authentic, inter- 
esting, and beautifully illustrated story to 
read to their classes on Columbus Day. 

Ride on the Wind is another picture biog- 
raphy for somewhat older children based 
upon the book The Spirit of St. Louis by 
Charles A. Lindbergh. Some background of 
Lindbergh's childhood is related, but the 


major portion of the story is devoted to the 
actual experience of the first nonstop solo 
flight across the Atlantic. A dramatic account 
is given of Lindbergh's greatest struggle — 
his effort to fight drowsiness. The reader can 
almost feel his own eyes become heavy-lidded 
as he reads the phrases: 

. . . How he wanted to sleep! If he could lie 
down on the soft fluffy quilt of a cloud and sleep. 
. . . His eyes were closing. . . . He rubbed his eyes, 
put his head out into the cool air. . . . His mind 
kept drifting off. 16 

The illustrations by Georges Schreiber are a 
perfect complement to the text. In one beau- 
tiful full-page spread, the Spirit of St. Louis 
looks very small indeed against a vast sky of 
blue moonlight and clouds. Alice Dalgliesh 
has written a thoughtful epilogue for chil- 
dren who read this book today: 

Big planes carry mail and passengers and cargo 
across the oceans. These planes have radio and 
radar and all kinds of instruments to guide their 
pilots. Yet always the little Spirit of St. Louis 
seems to fly beside them — for there must always 
be a “first” to show the way. 17 

JAMES DAUGHERTY 

The name of James Daugherty seems almost 
synonymous with that of biographer and il- 
lustrator of the American scene. With sing- 
ing, swinging, pictures and rhythmical prose 
he has portrayed Daniel Boone, Abraham 
Lincoln, Lewis and Clark, Benjamin Frank- 
lin, and Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. His 
story of Daniel Boone received the Newbery 
Award for the most distinguished contribu- 
tion to children’s literature. Here, in almost 
epic prose he has portrayed the rigor and 
humor of pioneer life. He tells of Boone’s 
early explorations, the building of the Wil- 
derness Road, and the grim nine-day siege of 
Boonesborough. It was during this siege that 
the Indians offered friendship in exchange 

lfl Alice Dalgliesh, editor. Ride on the Wind. Told 
from The Spirit of St. Louis, by Charles A. Lind- 
bergh. Illustrated by Georges Schreiber. New York: 
Charles Scribner’s Sons, Inc., 1956. Unpaged. 

17 Ibid. Unpaged. 



212 - Knowing Children's Literature 



Bold, lusty figures express the pioneer 
spirit of early Americana. Cover, 
Daniel Boone written and illustrated 
by James Daugherty. Viking, 1939. © 
1939 James Daugherty. 


for a peaceful surrender. Boone welcomed 
this delay and explained that his people 
would give an answer in two days. Daugherty 
describes their answer in the following 
words: 

Inside the fort the chances were talked over 
and argued and weighed after the democratic way 
of the backwoods. The odds were ten to one and 
worse against defense, and not a man, woman, or 
child would be spared if — But the tough cantan- 
kerous spirit of the frontier urged: "Go ahead or 
bust.” They would not have been where they 
were if they had not been stubborn survivors of 
a rough, tough, restless race who lived and died 
in their own independent way by the rifle, the 
ax, the Bible, and the plow. So they sent back the 
eagle's answer: "No surrender," the answer of the 
sassy two-year-old baby democracy, the answer of 
Man the Unconquerable to the hosts of darkness 
— "No surrender .” 18 

18 James Daugherty, Daniel Boone . New York: The 
Viking Press, 1939. p. 59. 


Daugherty's illustrations depict the lusty 
good fun of the frontier life as readily as the 
terror of an Indian capture. There is joy, 
horror, courage, and action in his swirling 
turbulent scenes. His powerful pictures are 
not pretty, but they are a perfect complement 
to his vigorous prose. 

The books by James Daugherty are for 
the superior reader. His biographies of 
Lincoln, Franklin, and Lewis and Clark are 
more appropriately written for the teen- 
ager. Teachers in intermediate grades may 
want to read parts of these books aloud 
to their classes; their prose invites oral 
presentation. 

GENEVIEVE FOSTER 

Genevieve Foster has written the life stories 
of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, 
and Andrew Jackson in a series of books 





Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 213 


which are subtitled “initial biographies." 
These books are characterized by the same 
high quality of writing and accuracy of de- 
tail which distinguish Genevieve Foster’s 
George Washington's World and Abraham 
Lincoln's World. The initial biographies are 
more simplified than the documentary 
“world" books. They do include, however, 
much information concerning the lives of 
these three men. They are good stories which 
may be easily read by fourth- and fifth-grad- 
ers. Genevieve Foster believes in giving chil- 
dren a clear, true picture of a man’s life in 
an “initial" biography. Thus in Andrew 
Jackson she shows both sides of the contro- 
versial Old Hickory. She does not avoid the 
scandal which surrounded his marriage, but 
separates fact from falsehood and shows that 
both Andrew and his Rachel were unaware 
that Rachel had not been properly divorced. 
The two-color illustrations by the author are 
as clear as her text, and reflect the action 
and humor of the stories. The very simplicity 
of these biographies appeals to children and 
at the same time reveals the skilled artistry 
of their author. 

CLARA INGRAM JUDSON 

All of the biographies by Clara Ingram Jud- 
son are characterized by scholarly research. 
She visited the places where the stories were 
located. She used first sources for her infor- 
mation, poring over letters, journals, and 
first-hand accounts. Then she wrote the facts 
in a vivid, interesting style that holds the 
attention of boys and girls from age ten to 
sixteen. 

Frequently the theme of Mrs. Judson's 
books can be seen in their very titles, for 
example, George Washington , Leader of the 
People; Andrew Jackson , Frontier States- 
man; Thomas Jefferson , Champion of the 
People; Abraham Lincoln, Friend of the 
People; and Theodore Roosevelt, Fighting 
Patriot . Many biographies have been written 
about these famous men, but it appeared to 
Mrs. Judson that the only justification for 
writing more would be the presentation of a 
different interpretation of their lives. Her 


intensive research frequently revealed facets 
of the lives of these great men which had not 
been included in the more stereotyped biog- 
raphies for children. For example, while 
reading the diary of a private soldier who 
served with Washington at Valley Forge she 
came upon these words: “The General came 
by and pitched. The General is a good 
pitcher." Few biographies of Washington 
ever pictured him as a good baseball player! 
And yet this side of his character would be 
much more appealing to children than the 
priggish piesentation of the cherry-tree story. 
Clara Ingram Judson’s George Washington 
emerges as a real person, the commander-in- 
chief, the first president, but also as a farmer, 
father, and the man who loved his family as 
dearly as he loved his country. 

When Judson began writing Abraham 
Lincoln, Friend of the People she journeyed 
to the little cabin on Knob Creek in Ken- 
tucky. As she looked at the little home, she 
decided that Lincoln’s poverty had been 
overstressed. It was true that his family had 
few possessions, but no one else living on the 
frontier had many either. Mrs. Judson makes 
the reader feel that the Lincolns were rich 
in their family relationship. 

Mr. Justice Holmes is a more difficult book 
to read than the others by Mrs. Judson, but 
it tells a fascinating story. Even when Wen- 
dell Holmes was a judge and six feet four 
inches tall, his famous father, Doctor Oliver 
Wendell Holmes, called him “my little boy." 
Though Wendell often wondered if he could 
ever really grow up in his father’s opinion, 
he became one of the greatest men America 
has produced. This fine and penetrating 
biography for the more mature reader was 
the winner of one of the Thomas A. Edison 
mass-media awards in 1956. Unfortunately, 
Mrs. Judson died before it was announced 
that she had received the 1960 Laura Ingalls 
Wilder Award for her lasting contributions 
to children’s literature. 

JEAN LEE LATHAM 

The biographies of Jean Lee Latham are 
highly fictionalized and fascinating. Most 



214 - Knowing Children's Literature 

authors would be dubious about writing an 
interesting biography for children about a 
mathematician; Miss Latham was challenged. 
She studied mathematics, astronomy, ocean- 
ography, and seamanship. Then she went to 
Boston and Salem to talk with descendants 
of Nathaniel Bowditch and to do research on 
the geographical and maritime backgrounds 
of her story. The result of all of this research 
was the Newbery Award winner for 1956, 
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. This is the amazing 
story of Nat Bowditch who had little chance 
for schooling, but mastered the secrets of 
navigation for himself. Denied the education 
for which he yearned, Nathaniel was appren- 
ticed to a ship chandler for nine long years. 
However, he taught himself everything he 
could learn about the sea and ships, mathe- 
matics, astronomy, and even Latin. Before he 
was thirty, Nat Bowditch had written The 
American Practical Navigator which is still 
used some hundred and fifty years later as 
a standard text in the United States Naval 
Academy! He had followed the advice given 
to him by his friend Sam Smith early in his 
apprenticed days; he had learned to sail by 
“ash breeze.” 

“When a ship is becalmed — the wind died down 
— she can’t move — sometimes the sailors break 
out their oars. They’ll row a boat ahead of the 
ship and tow her. Or they'll carry out anchors 
and heave them over, and the crew will lean on 
the capstan bars and drag the ship up to where 
the anchors are heaved over. Oars are made of 
ash — white ash. So — when you get ahead by your 
own get-up-and-get — that’s when you ‘sail by ash 
breeze*.'* 19 

Jean Lee Latham has also written the biog- 
raphy of Matthew Fontaine Maury, the 
founder of the naval academy, in Trail 
Blazer of the Seas. For somewhat younger 
readers, she has written Medals for Morse 
and Young Man in a Hurry, the story of 
Cyrus Field. Miss Latham is a gifted story- 
teller who also respects accuracy and authen- 
ticity. 

19 Jean Lee Latham, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. 
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1955. p. 48. 


MAY MCNEER AND LYND WARD 

This husband and wife team has produced 
several fine biographies. They have written 
two life stories of outstanding religious lead- 
ers, namely, Martin Luther and John Wesley. 
Their stories are told with dignity and 
simplicity and are illustrated with striking, 
full-page pictures by Ward. The large illus- 
trations are in color, while black-and-white 
illustrations appear on almost every page. 

A similar format is used in their America’s 
Abraham Lincoln, one of the most handsome 
biographies written for young people. Thor- 
ough research is reflected in both May Mc- 
Neer’s perceptive text and Lynd Ward's 
magnificent pictures. Only those statements 
which were actually known to have been 
Lincoln’s are included in the conversations; 
but the story is well-written and fast moving 
without the invention of dialogue. 

The Wards have produced another type of 
biography in their book entitled Armed with 
Courage. Here they present the biographies 
of seven men and women who are similar 
only in their physical and spiritual courage; 
Florence Nightingale, Father Damien, George 
Washington Carver, Jane Addams, Wilfred 
Grenfell, Mahatma Gandhi, and Albert 
Schweitzer. It is always difficult to portray a 
complete picture of a person in a few pages. 
However, in this collection of seven bio- 
graphical sketches the Wards have been 
eminently successful. With sensitive text and 
dramatic black-and-white illustrations they 
capture the self-sacrifice and determination 
of these great men and women who were 
“armed with courage” only. 

RONALD SYME 

Syme has written a biographical series about 
explorers which is particularly enjoyed by 
older boys. These biographies are written in 
an easy flowing style without being written 
down or simplified. The author includes an 
amazing number of facts in these concise and 
clearly written books; yet he manages to por- 
tray his subjects realistically with their 
strengths and weaknesses. In John Smith of 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 215 


Virginia, Syme has drawn a picture of Smith 
which shows the leadership qualities which 
made men his willing followers, and also 
portrays those qualities which made men 
hate and envy him. Syme’s account of Cortes 
of Mexico is somewhat different from the one 
usually given. He emphasizes Cortes' desire 
to explore and map the new world and 
blames the greedy men under him for his 
troubles with the Aztecs. 

Despite the magnificent seamanship of 
Vasco da Gama, Syme points out in his book 
of this title that he was unable to make 
friends with the natives. The author has 
shown the dark side of Gama’s character, his 
violent temper and revengeful nature. His 
demands and reprisals against the Arabs and 
natives of Africa made too many enemies for 
his little country of Portugal. He discovered 
the sea route to India but he failed miserably 
in his attempt to use it. It is easy to under- 
stand why the Portuguese empire was short- 
lived as one reads Syme’s description of 
Gama’s departure from India. The vigorous 
black-and-white drawings of William Stobbs 
add greatly to the forcefulness of Syme’s writ- 
ing. Stobbs has illustrated most of the latter’s 
biographies. The artist always includes an 
excellent map showing the routes of the dif- 
ferent explorers. These books would be par- 
ticularly useful as supplementary material 
for social studies. 

OPAL WHEELER AND SYBIL DEUCHER 

Children from seven to eleven, who are in 
the throes of beginning piano lessons, may 
enjoy the biographies of musicians written 
by Opal Wheeler and Sybil Deucher. At first, 
these authors collaborated on their writing 
of Joseph Haydn, the Merry Little Peasant, 
and Mozart, the Wonder Boy. Later, they 
worked individually, but used the same for- 
mat established with their early books. Their 
pattern usually emphasizes the childhood of 
the musicians and their later accomplish- 
ments. Emphasis is frequently placed upon 
escapades and pranks, such as Haydn’s cut- 
ting off the pigtail of one of the boys in the 


Vienna Boys Choir. These books are almost 
too gay in their accounts of composers’ lives. 
No suggestions of the tragedy of Mozart’s life 
or the deafness of Beethoven are given. These 
realities are not beyond the understanding 
of young children and would present a more 
truthful and rounded picture of their great- 
ness. The books are illustrated by simple 
black-and-white drawings. Excerpts from the 
music of the composers are included for the 
reader who may wish to play some of their 
easier compositions. 

Miss Wheeler has also written an interest- 
ing biography of Hans Christian Andersen. 
This is the story of the awkward cobbler's 
son who was born in Odense, Denmark. Tall, 
fair-haired, this dreamer of dreams was often 
ridiculed for his storytelling and whipped by 
his school masters. At last he became recog- 
nized for the genius that he was. In Hans 
Andersen: Son of Denmark, Miss Wheeler 
has included seven of his famous fairy tales. 


OTHER BIOGRAPHERS 

It is impossible to include all of the biograph- 
ers of well-known children’s books. Some 
authors have only written one or two and yet 
these are excellent biographies. This is cer- 
tainly the case with Roger Duvoisin’s exciting 
biography of Francisco Pizarro titled, The 
Four Corners of the World . Children, teach- 
ers, and librarians will enjoy the well-written 
biography by Josephine Blackstock, Songs for 
Sixpence, the story of John Newbery. The 
names of Jeanette Covert Nolan, Catherine 
Owens Peare, and Katherine Binney Shippen 
are closely associated with fine biographies 
for young people. In most instances, however, 
they have written for the high-school reader, 
not the child in elementary school. 

As teachers and parents guide children's 
reading, it will be helpful to know the limita- 
tions and outstanding characteristics of biog- 
raphy for children. There are biographies to 
meet almost all interests and levels of read- 
ing, from fare for the reluctant reader to his- 
torical research for the avid one. 



216 - Knowing Children's Literature 

Types of Biographies: 

Lincoln Comparisons 

Probably there have been more adult biog- 
raphies written about Abraham Lincoln than 
any other American. The same statement can 
be made about the number of juvenile biog- 
raphies which have portrayed his life. Chil- 
dren enjoy reading stories about this famous 
American hero the year around and not just 
during the month of his birth. A comparison 
of the many biographies about him will illus- 
trate the wide range of biographical types for 
children. 

PICTURE BOOKS 

In describing Lincoln, Carl Sandburg said 
he was like something out of a picture book 
for children. Yet there have not been many 
picture books about Lincoln. The d’Aulaires' 
Abraham Lincoln is the best example of this 
type of biography. In full-page lithographs 
of glowing color, these artists have presented 
the picture-book story of Lincoln from child- 
hood through the Civil War. Pictures and 
text flow together to show the many sides of 
this solemn, studious, fun-loving, “peculiar- 
some” lad. The authors have included many 
of the well-loved anecdotes of his life. Chil- 
dren will delight in the story and picture of 
Abe holding a little boy upside down to make 
muddy tracks on the white-washed ceiling in 
order to fool his step-mother. Another full- 
page illustration shows Abe stretched out on 
the carpet in the parlor of his Springfield 
house reading a book, oblivious to the antics 
of his three noisy sons. The reflection of 
Mary Todd Lincoln in the mirror suggests 
an unhappy ending to the day's fun. The 
d’Aulaires have captured the homespun 
qualities of this gawky great man in both 
their text and illustrations. This book serves 
as a perfect introduction of Abraham Lincoln 
for seven-, eight-, and nine-year-olds. 

Another picture book titled Lincoln : a Big 
Man emphasizes Lincoln’s “bigness” of sta- 
ture and nature. Helen Kay has painted 
wonderful word pictures in this text which 
are complemented by the slightly distorted 


black-and-white sketches of this tall, awk- 
ward man. Lincoln’s height is stressed in the 
author’s description of a marble game among 
Willie, the oldest Lincoln boy, and his 
friends: 

Suddenly a shadow fell across the marble ring 
and a pair of very large feet appeared beside him. 
Willie looked up the very long legs and even 
higher up to the large kindly, smiling face. And 
as if put there to make him look even taller, on 
his head sat a plug hat — half a foot high! 20 

Lincoln took time to play with the boys. He 
won all their marbles and then returned 
them! Abraham Lincoln was frequently in- 
convenienced by his height. An amusing pic- 
ture of him in bed in one of the many hotels 
at which he stayed while riding the Circuit 
shows his long feet sticking out from under 
the footboard. This. book includes many 
other references to his size,' but also tells 
many of the anecdotes which showed his big- 
ness of heart. As his wife, Mary, once re- 
marked, “People are not aware that his heart 
is as large as his arms are long.” The author 
and illustrator have carefully blended the 
outward appearances of this man with his 
inner character. Younger children will enjoy 
the humorous stories and pictures, but they 
may also gain an insight into the greatness of 
his spirit. 

BIOGRAPHICAL EPISODE 

There are many stories for children which 
are based upon a single biographical incident 
in Lincoln’s life. Hertha Pauli has written a 
small book titled Lincoln’s Little Corre- 
spondent which reconstructs the story of the 
little girl who was supposed to have written 
to Abraham Lincoln suggesting that he grow 
a beard. Carl Sandburg refers to this story of 
Grace Bedell as one odd piece of American 
history and folklore. And yet how else can 
one explain the letter which begins “Dear 
Sir ... I am a little girl only eleven years old 
. . .,” for it hangs today on the wall of the 
Lincoln house in Springfield, Illinois. The 

“Helen Kay, Lincoln: a Big Man. New York: 
Hastings House Publishers, Inc., 1958. p. 8-9. 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 217 


author has written an interesting and excit- 
ing story. Its climax comes when the Presi- 
dential train stops in Westfield, New York 
and following Lincoln’s address, he asks to 
speak to “his little correspondent.” When 
Grace is led up to the train she at last sees 
that he has grown a beard. Lincoln picks her 
up and says: “You see I let them grow for 
you, Grace.” 

Henry's Lincoln by Louise Neyhart tells 
of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate at Freeport, 
Illinois. Henry, a ten-year-old, is finally al- 
lowed to drive Prince, his spirited white 
horse, into town to hear the two men speak. 
The author has made this debate and the 
issues involved in it come alive for boys and 
girls of the twentieth century. They will 
identify with Henry’s indecision as to which 
man to support. Finally, he is won over to 
Lincoln’s side and waits to speak to him after 
the debate. Mr. Lincoln sees him wearing his 
Douglas badge and remarks that he is glad 
to have a Douglas man speak to him. In this 
small, exciting book the issues of this famous 
occasion are presented clearly and forcefully. 


It might lead children to conduct their own 
mock debates upon major issues today. 

Ruth Painter Randall has collected many 
of the incidents relating to Abraham 
Lincoln’s encounters with animals and pre- 
sented them in her book Lincoln's Animal 
Friends . Each chapter tells a separate story. 
One of the most moving is the tale of six- 
year-old Abe’s pet pig. On the unbelievably 
horrible day of hog-killing, Abe took his pet 
to the woods for the day. However, the next 
day, his father rose early and caught the 
hog. Lincoln always remembered this “awful 
tragedy,” as he termed it, and once made the 
comment that sadness comes harder to the 
young “because it takes them unawares.” 
This book portrays his compassionate and 
fun-loving side. Children will enjoy the many 
animal adventures and the excellent illustra- 
tions by Louis Darling. 

PARTIAL BIOGRAPHY 

One of the liberties allowed juvenile biog- 
raphers is the writing of partial or incom- 
plete biography. Carl Sandburg has written 


Brightly colored lithographs de- 
pict a fun-loving gawky Lincoln. 
From Abraham Lincoln written 
and illustrated by Ingri and Ed- 
gar Parin d’Aulaire. Doubleday, 
1939, 1957. 





218 - Knowing Children's Literature 

a partial biography for children titled Abra- 
ham Lincoln Grows Up. It was made from 
the first twenty-seven chapters of the longest 
and most definitive of biographies for adults, 
Sandburg's Abraham Lincoln, the Prairie 
Years . In his juvenile biography, Sandburg 
includes Lincoln's birth and boyhood, until 
he was nineteen and “grown up." It is written 
in singing prose which at times seems more 
like poetry. Sandburg tells not only the story 
of Lincoln’s early life, but he describes the 
monotony of daily living in those times. He 
describes Lincoln's desire for learning and 
knowledge in the following words: 

He wanted to learn, to live, to reach out; he 
wanted to satisfy hungers and thirsts he couldn't 
tell about, this big big boy of the backwoods. And 
some of what he wanted so much, so deep down, 
seemed to be in books. Maybe in books he would 
find the answers to dark questions pushing around 
in the pools of his thoughts and the drifts of his 
mind. He told Dennis and other people, “The 
things I want to know are in books; my best 
friend is the man who'll git me a book I ain’t 
read." And sometimes friends answered, “Well, 
books ain’t as plenty as wildcats in these parts o’ 
Indiannyl’’2i 

Sandburg gives weight to the saying “The 
child is father to the man," as he points up 
some of the lasting influences of Lincoln's 
childhood. One of these molding factors was 
the amount of time which Lincoln spent 
alone. 

Growing from boy to man, he was alone a good 
deal of the time. Days came often when he was 
by himself all the time except at breakfast and 
supper hours in the cabin home. In some years 
more of his time was spent in loneliness than in 
the company of other people It was the wilder- 

ness loneliness he became acquainted with, solved, 
filtered through body, eye, and brain, held com- 
munion with in his ears, in the temples of his 
forehead, in the works of his beating heart. . . . 

He found his life thrown in ways where there 
was a certain chance for a certain growth. And so 
he grew. Silence found him; he met silence. In the 
making of him as he was, the element of silence 
was immense. 22 

* Carl Sandburg, Abe Lincoln Grows Up. Reprinted 
from Abraham Lincoln: the Prairie Years . Illustrated 
by James Daugherty. New York: Harcourt, Brace & 
Company, 1928. p. 1S5. 

m Ibid. p. 100.101. 


The rhythm of Sandburg's prose begs to be 
read aloud and shared. This book is perhaps 
best read orally by the teacher during the 
story hour. More mature readers in the fifth 
and sixth grade could read it independently. 

Frances Cavanah's book, Abe Lincoln Gets 
His Chance , covers a somewhat longer period 
than the Sandburg book, ending with Lin- 
coln’s departure for the White House. Miss 
Cavanah has made good use of dialogue in 
this well-written book. The theme which she 
emphasizes is that Abe Lincoln made oppor- 
tunities from what others would have con- 
sidered handicaps. The end papers show an 
interesting map of the locations of the vari- 
ous homes of Abraham Lincoln. The black- 
and-white sketches seem almost too modern, 
the women too chic and attractive in their 
poke bonnets, and the men too handsome. 
Children will enjoy the conversation, the 
humor, and the inclusion of many interesting 
anecdotes in this book. It is easily read by 
middle-graders. 

COMPLETE BIOGRAPHY 

A few of the many complete biographies of 
Lincoln are outstanding. One of these is 
Clara Ingram Judson's Abraham Lincoln, 
Friend of the People. In this beautifully 
written biography, Mrs. Judson portrays 
Lincoln as a boy, father, lawyer, and presi- 
dent — but always human. She plays up his 
ability to tell good stories and entertain his 
listeners. Her description of his early cam- 
paign speeches is as picturesque as it is 
amusing. 

Lincoln’s first chance to speak came at an auc- 
tion nearby. He arrived early, dressed in his best 
— a coat of mixed jeans, cut clawhammer fashion 
(with sleeves and coattails too short) , tow and 
flax pantaloons, and a straw hat without a band. 
He visited with the men and made a campaign 
speech. His statement of principles got attention, 
and his backwoods tales delighted them. A favor- 
ite yarn was about a preacher who during a long 
sermon felt a lizard crawling up inside his 
breeches. Abe Lincoln’s gifted mimicry as he acted 
out the preacher’s frantic misery had the men 
rocking with laughter. 23 

* Clara Ingram Judson, Abraham Lincoln, Friend 
of the People . Chicago: Follett Publishing Company, 
1957. p. 89-90. 



Robert Frankenberg has produced clear, 
forceful black-and-white line drawings for 
this book. In addition, colored photographs 
of the Lincoln dioramas from the Chicago 
Historical Society provide interest and 
authenticity. 

May McNeer and her husband, Lynd 
Ward, have collaborated to produce one of 
the most moving and beautiful biographies 
of Abraham Lincoln. From a literary and 
pictorial standpoint, this book is superb. The 
only dialogue which is used are those words 
which are known to have been Lincoln’s. Yet 
the story moves rapidly from a “shirttail 
boy” of seven walking to school with his sis- 
ter, Sarah, to a single swift shot during the 
third act of a play at Ford’s Theatre. The 
events of Lincoln’s childhood are described 
in well-chosen words against a backdrop of 
black-and-white pictures and vividly colored 
ones glowing with the rich greens of the 
wilderness. There is a wonderful, humorous 
picture of Lincoln’s stepmother supervising 
the washing of children one by one in the 
horse trough. Abe is smiling as he helps to 
carry the water. His new mother looks on 
approvingly and laughs. Even the dappled 
grey horse looks startled at this burst of 
activity. 

The Wards have pictured the many sides 
of the moody, good-natured, studious young 
man. They emphasize his grief at the death 
of Ann Rutledge in poetic prose and a force- 
ful picture: 

Lincoln’s long face, where sadness seemed to 
make its home, grew lined and etched with grief. 
In his twenty-six years he had lost his mother, his 
sister, and now the girl Ann. . . . 

Lincoln’s friends worried about him. He was 
lost in grief, wandering about unable to think, 
unable to work. Nancy and Bowling Green took 
him to their home and put an axe in his big 
hands. Out under the sky, sinking his axe blade 
in a log, stripping the ripened ears of corn, and 
driving a team, he found help while their friend- 
ship gave him comfort . 24 

The fun-loving Lincoln is portrayed by Ward 

“May McNeer, America's Abraham Lincoln. Bos- 
ton: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1957. p. 48. 



A soft pink sunset provides contrast for the grief 
stricken figure of Lincoln. From Americas Abraham 
Lincoln by May McNeer. Illustrated by Lynd Ward. 
Houghton Mifflin, 1957. 

in a picture of Lincoln with his three boys. 
He is holding the youngest while the other 
two are hugging him. Even the cat is purring 
up against one of his long legs. Mary Todd 
Lincoln stands quietly at the door with lov- 
ing admiration in her eyes and a somewhat 
wistful expression on her face. She would 
never tolerate such hilarious “goings-on” 
herself, but Lynd Ward’s picture suggests a 
longing to enter into this world of open- 
hearted joy. Children will be the richer for 
meeting him through the media of May Mc- 
Neer’s flowing prose and Lynd Ward’s de- 
tailed and expressive illustrations. 

Jeannette Covert Nolan’s biography, Abra- 
ham Lincoln , also begins with seven-year-old 
Abe. It tells his complete life, utilizing much 
dialogue. This is an objective biography of 
Lincoln which is written for the more mature 
reader. Mrs. Nolan describes Lincoln’s grief 
following the death of Ann Rutledge, but 

219 


220 - Knowing Children's Literature 

she makes no assumptions about their rela- 
tionship. Small black-and-white pictures in- 
troduce each chapter in this book. Each pic- 
ture includes a portrait of Lincoln and a 
sketch interpreting the action of the chapter. 
The portraits show the growth and aging of 
Lincoln. There are the same brooding eyes 
in the seven-year-old Abe as in the mature 
Lincoln. The illustrator has skillfully cap- 
tured the similarity of features at the same 
time he has shown ravages of time. This 
authentic biography of Lincoln includes an 
index and bibliography. 

James Daugherty has written a complete 
and comprehensive biography also titled 
Abraham Lincoln . Again, this is a book 
which requires mature reading ability. 
Daugherty's prose has a distinctive swing and 
vigor which is repeated in the lines of his 
powerful illustrations. Some of his writing 
reminds the reader of the Sandburg biogra- 
phy of Lincoln — it has the same poetic 
quality. But Daugherty’s story is more som- 
ber than the Sandburg account of Lincoln’s 
early life. Daugherty writes of the New 
Salem Legend of 1835, and states that Ann 
Rutledge and Abe were engaged at the time 
of her death. The following passage is typical 
of Daugherty’s rhythmical prose: 

Long after the lights had gone out forever in 
the de&erted cabins on the New Salem bluff, and 
when a tragic glory hung about his name and 
fame, recorders came to the old scenes seeking 
out the men and women Lincoln had known and 
loved in the vanished cabins and the haunted 
paths where he had walked asking Why was he 
sad? What was he like? What made him weep? 
What made him laugh? What was his secret? 
Whom did he love? What did he hate? 

Men and women, searching in the twilight attic 
of past years, dusted off daguerreotypes of mem- 
ory, and repeated the echoes of his remembered 
phrases, recalling the old jests and laughter, and 
restoring the colors of pictures faded and dark- 
ened by time. 

One memory story tells of Ann, the golden- 
haired daughter of old James Rutledge who had 
owned the mill and tavern at New Salem 25 

“James Daugherty, Abraham Lincoln. New York: 
The Viking Press, 1943. p. 48. 


Daugherty’s pictures of Lincoln vary from 
the tall, gawky, almost grotesque, young man 
telling stories in the New Salem store, to the 
powerful wrestler who defeated Jack Arm- 
strong, to the brooding, somber, war-weary 
President. All of the illustrations have the 
power and vitality which are so typical of 
Daugherty’s work. This is a comprehensive 
work which will prove difficult reading for 
the average middle-grader. Parts of it could 
be read aloud by the teacher. It has an excel- 
lent index and could be used as a reference 
book. 

COLLECTIONS 

The story of Abraham Lincoln is included in 
many biographical collections, for example, 
Stoiy of the Presidents of the United Slates 
of America by Maud and Miska Petersham. 
These stories must necessarily be biograph- 
ical sketches since only a few pages may be 
allotted to each subject. However, the Peter- 
shams have presented more than just salient 
facts as they have attempted to include some 
of the outstanding qualities and characteris- 
tics of each personality. 

The greatness of Lincoln seems to have 
increased with time rather than to have di- 
minished. As people become more interested 
in finding out about this enigmatic man, they 
have focused their attention on his back- 
ground, upon his parents, and his relations 
with members of his own family. Children’s 
books have also reflected this interest as indi- 
cated by such titles as Le Sueur’s Nancy 
Hanks of Wilderness Road , Margaret Fris- 
key’s Tad Lincoln and the Green Umbrella, 
and Frances Cavanah’s They Knew Abe 
Lincoln . There are many of these related 
biographies, but in the juvenile field they 
appear to be restricted to the subject of 
Abraham Lincoln. 

Also unique in the field of juvenile biog- 
raphy is the Abe Lincoln Anthology com- 
piled by Hilah Paulmier. This anthology in- 
cludes material from more than sixty authors, 
biographers, novelists, and poets. The editor 
has chosen those stories, incidents, and 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 221 


speeches which best reveal the true character 
of Lincoln. This book is indexed and should 
prove to be an excellent reference for both 
teachers and young people. 

The biographies about Abraham Lincoln 
for children have revealed five main types: 
picture biographies, biographical incidents 
or episodes, partial biographies, complete 
biographies, and biographical collections. 
For the subject of Abraham Lincoln there 


HISTORICAL FICTION 

America's awakened interest in the historical 
novel is clearly reflected in the increasing 
number of fictional books for, children which 
have a historical background. These books 
supplement the information obtained from 
factual books and biographies. Historical fic- 
tion for children attempts to reconstruct the 
life of an age, period, or moment other than 
that of the present generation. The charac- 
ters, settings and events are drawn from the 
past. The author may invent the plots, char- 
acters and events; he may utilize real charac- 
ters and happenings of history; or he may 
make use of both true and fictitious people 
and plot. 

There is a difference between historical 
fiction which is written as historical fiction, 
and those books which take on historical 
significance with the passage of time. It is 
sometimes difficult to understand that what 
may be a vivid memory for an adult is history 
for children. Such books as Snow Treasure 
by Marie McSwigan and Twenty and Ten by 
Bishop are historical stories in the sense that 
today’s child has no recollection of the Nazi 
occupation of Norway and France. However, 
at the time when these books were written, 
they were stories of contemporary life. They 
are exciting and well-written; they recapture 
the anxiety and courage of the people of their 
time, but they are not historical fiction in the 
usual definition of the term. These are stories 
which have endured, and in the process of 
their endurance they have acquired an his- 
torical value. In historical fiction, the author 


are also related biographies and a biograph- 
ical anthology. Most of these biographies use 
a fictionalized form; a few represent the 
factual reporting of the historic biography 
(probably Daugherty's Abraham Lincoln 
comes closer to this than any other); while 
some of the biographical episodes, such as 
the story of Henry’s Lincoln and Lincoln’s 
Little Correspondent , are biographical fic- 
tion. 


deliberately attempts to reconstruct the life 
of an age other than that of the present 
generation. Both historical fiction and books 
written at the time of an historical event may 
convey the life and spirit of the period to 
children. 

Criteria for Historical Fiction 

Books of historical fiction are not exempt 
from the requirement of telling a good story. 
They should not just sugar-coat history, but 
tell a story which is interesting in its own 
right. Secondly, these stories must make the 
period come alive for their readers. The 
author must re-create both the physical en- 
vironment of the times and capture the spirit 
and feelings of the age. Third, these stories 
must be historically accurate and authentic, 
both in presenting the everyday life of their 
characters and the events of the period. The 
author cannot falsify the fundamental rec- 
ord of history. In this sense, then, history 
does set a boundary around the presentation 
of historical fiction. Fourth, well-written 
books of historical fiction contain a theme. 
This theme may be an historical one based 
upon the issues of the time; or a universal 
one such as growing-up, as portrayed in 
Caddie Woodlawn . The truth of the story 
should be more than the mere excitement of 
historic events. Finally, historical fiction for 
children usually has a hero who is a boy or 
girl experiencing the life of his time as a 
child. Children identify more readily with 
other children, than with adults. The child 



222 - Knowing Children's Literature 

character should be believable. This means 
that an author of historical fiction for boys 
and girls must not only be thoroughly 
grounded in the history of the period he 
wishes to describe, but he must have a thor- 
ough understanding of childhood. 

Many books of historical fiction for chil- 
dren meet these established criteria — there 
are some that do not. Because the number of 
outstanding books in this popular field defies 
description, only selected examples of some 
of the best historical fiction will be discussed. 
It is hoped the reader will develop his own 
list of favorites. This section begins with de- 
scriptions of books which will appeal to the 
youngest reader, and continues with those 
for the more mature reader. There are many 
more books written with American back- 
grounds than with other historical settings. 

Historical Fiction — The New World 

ALICE DALGLIESH 

In her book. The Courage of Sarah Noble, 
Alice Dalgliesh has told the true and inspir- 
ing story of eight-year-old Sarah who went 
into the wilderness with her father to cook 
for him while he built a cabin. There were 
many times when Sarah had to say to herself, 
as her mother had said to her when she left 
home, “Keep up your courage, Sarah Noble!” 
Sarah has reason to remember her mother's 
words when she hears the wolves howl out- 
side the campfire or when alone one day she 
is suddenly surrounded by Indian children. 
But the real test of her courage is faced when 
her father tells her that he must leave her 
with Tall John, a friendly Indian, while he 
returns to Massachusetts for the rest of the 
family. Simply but movingly, Miss Dalgliesh 
describes the parting of Sarah and her father: 

The frost was on the ground when Sarah stood, 
holding Tall John's hand, to watch her father 
start on his journey. Her cloak was wrapped 
tightly around her. She was not saying anything, 
but her mind, always busy, was making pictures. 
Trees . . . trees . . . dark trees . . . narrow paths 
through the forest . . . wolves . . . bears. Suppose 
her father never came back and she had to live 
with Indians all her life? 


Now her father was mounting Thomas. Sarah 
patted the horse’s nose. His long, solemn face 
seemed very dear to her. 

John Noble rode quickly away — turning once, 
twice, three times to wave to a very small girl in 
a red-brown cloak. 26 

In Adam and the Golden Cock, Miss 
Dalgliesh has told the story of a boy during 
the American Revolution. Added to the ex- 
citement of the arrival of the regiments of 
Rochambeau is the new doubt and suspicion 
which Adam feels for his friend Paul, a 
Tory’s son. This book provides a clear sense 
of history in the making, but the plot is not 
as interesting or well-defined as in The 
Courage of Sarah Noble. Leonard Weisgard 
has richly illustrated both of these books. 

MIRIAM MASON 

Children in third and fourth grades enjoy 
reading the simple and amusing stories of 
pioneer life by Miriam Mason. Susannah, 
the Pioneer Cow is the story of a rather “un- 
willing pioneer” who much preferred the 
lush green grass of Virginia to the weedy 
pasture of Indiana. After her adventures with 
wolves, snakes, and a swamp, Susannah, the 
cow, decides that her log barn in Indiana is 
as comfortable and pleasant as the large 
barn back home in Virginia. The simple but 
exciting text and the many lovely pictures 
by the Petershams have made this a well- 
loved book for the younger reader. In Young 
Mr. Meeker and His Exciting Journey to 
Oregon, Miriam Mason tells an unusual and 
diverting story of young Mr. Meeker who is 
just one month old when he begins his five 
month expedition by ox-cart to Oregon in 
1852. This easy-to-read book is based upon 
the authentic story of Ezra Meeker’s wagon 
train. Caroline and Her Kettle Named Maud 
is another humorous and well-told pioneer 
tale by the same author. Caroline is a pioneer 
tomboy who longs for a real gun for her 
birthday. She receives a copper kettle, but it 
proves just as effective as a gun in capturing 
the wolf which threatens the family cows. 

“Alice Dalgliesh, The Courage of Sarah Noble. 
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1954. p. 37-38. 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 223 


Miriam Mason has a special talent for pre- 
senting the everyday life of the pioneers in a 
readable and thoroughly satisfying manner 
for eight- and nine-year-olds. 

MARGUERITE DE ANGELI 

Marguerite de Angeli has written fiction 
with settings in both the old and new world. 

She is known for her many books about 
religious or regional minorities. Some of 
these have historical backgrounds. Elin's 
Amerika describes the life of children in the 
settlement of New Sweden on the Delaware 
in 1648. Thee, Hannah ! is concerned with a 
story of a little Quaker girl who helps a slave 
to escape. In Copper Toed Boots, Marguerite 
de Angeli has told the warm and amusing 
story of her father’s boyhood days at the turn 
of the century. No matter what period or 
place Marguerite de Angeli describes, she 
makes history live for her readers. 

JEAN FRITZ 

Jean Fritz has told the poignant story of 
lonely ten-year-old Ann Hamilton who was 
the only girl in the wilderness of early West- 
ern Pennsylvania. The title of this book, The 
Cabin Faced West, describes her father’s at- 
titude about the family’s new adventure. 
“ ‘We’ve cast our lot with the West,’ her 
father had said as he stood in the doorway 
the day the cabin was completed. ‘And we 
won't look back.’ ” 27 Ann longed for her 
cousin Margaret and the girl-fun she had 
enjoyed back on the other side of the Alle- 
gheny Mountains in Gettysburg. She grows 
to hate the two words “some-day” as she hears 
them again and again. Someday she would 
have books to read, someday they would have 
windows in the cabin, and someday there 
would be a special occasion to use the linen 
table cloth and the lavender flowered plates 
which her mother kept in her chest. All the 
“some-days” seemed so very far away to Ann. 
At last, however, a special occasion did hap- 
pen. George Washington stopped at the 
Hamilton cabin for dinner. Ann wore rib- 

"Jean Fritz, The Cabin Faced West. New York: 
Coward-McCann, Inc., 1958. p. 10. 


bons in her hair and set the table in the way 
she had longed to do. This final episode is 
based upon fact and really happened to Ann 
Hamilton who was the author’s own great- 
great grandmother. There is a warm spirit 
pervading the family relationships in this 
story. Ann’s teasing big brothers are really 
very fond of her. Ann, herself, affectionately 
calls her baby brother “Johnny-Cake.” But it 
is Ann’s mother who truly understands the 
loneliness of an isolated little girl. She does 
not scold when she realizes Ann has taken 
two of her lavender plates to the woods to 
play house; instead, she joins Ann and her 
doll, Semanthie, in their tea party under the 
yellow elm leaves. This is a delightful story 
that will give modern children some under- 
standing and feeling for the life of the wil- 
derness settlers. 

ELIZABETH COATSWORTH 

The name of Elizabeth Coatsworth is almost 
synonymous with that which is fine in his- 
torical writing for children. There are seven 
books in her “Once-U pon-a-T ime-in-Amer- 
ica” Series, one for each fifty year period be- 
ginning with 1600 to 1650. In chronological 
order their titles are First Adventure, The 
Wishing Pear, Boston Bells, Aunt Flora, Old 
Whirlwind, The Sod House, and Cherry Ann 
and the Dragon Horse . Some of these are for 
younger children. Boys enjoy Elizabeth 
Coatsworth’s Dancing Tom and The Ped- 
dler's Cart. 

The most popular of Elizabeth Coats- 
worth’s books are the Sally stories. The series 
begins when Sally is a young girl of seven or 
eight and ends with a grown-up attractive 
young lady. The stories are exciting and 
beautifully written. In the first book. Away 
Goes Sally, Sally and her two uncles and 
three aunts travel from Massachusetts to 
Maine in a little house on runners drawn by 
six yoke of oxen. In Five Bushel Farm, An- 
drew Patterson comes to live at Sally’s house. 
As a result of the children’s friendship with 
the Indians, the tribe gives up its intention 
of seizing back the land by force. When they 
agree to accept a payment each year of five 



224 - Knowing Children's Literature 

bushels of cornmeal for their hunting rights, 
Sally names the farm Five Bushel Farm. In 
The Fair American , Sally is invited to go 
with Andy’s father, Captain Patterson, on a 
summer cruise. The French Revolution is in 
progress and Sally is instrumental in saving 
the life of Pierre, whose father had been ex- 
ecuted in Paris. The White Horse is another 
story of an exciting voyage in which the pas- 
sengers and crew are captured by Algerian 
pirates. Sally pleases the moody Sultan by 
her courage and he grants her a beautiful 
white horse in token of his friendship. In 
The Wonderful Day , Sally and Andy save 
their Uncle Joseph’s fortune by exposing Mr. 
Stanforth and his counterfeit money. The 
Wonderful Day ends, and so too does a won- 
derful series of life in early America. The 
illustrations of Helen Sewell also add to the 
attractiveness of this series. 


home is in Wisconsin, the wild Kansas coun- 
try as described in Little House on the 
Prairie, in the Minnesota of On the Banks of 
Plum Creek, or By the Shores of Silver Lake 
in Dakota Territory. Children who read 
these books sense the same feelings of love 
and family solidarity as experienced by 
Laura in the closing pages of The Little 
House in the Big Woods: 

But Laura lay awake a little while, listening to 
Pa’s fiddle softly playing and to the lovely sound 
of the wind in the Big Woods. She looked at Pa 
sitting on the bench by the hearth, the firelight 
gleaming on his brown hair and beard and glisten- 
ing over the honey-brown fiddle. She looked at 
Ma, gently rocking and knitting. 

She thought to herself, “This is now.” 

She was glad that the cosy house, and Pa and 
Ma and the firelight and the music, were now. 
They could not be forgotten, she thought, be- 


LAURA INGALLS WILDER 

No books of historical fiction are more loved 
than Mrs. Wilder’s “The Little House” 
books. These stories, like the Sally stories, 
tell of the growing up of the Ingalls girls and 
the Wilder boys. In the first book of the 
series, Little House in the Big Woods, Laura 
is only six years old; the last two books Little 
Town on the Prairie and These Happy 
Golden Years tell of Laura’s teaching and 
her marriage. Based upon the author’s own 
life, these books portray the hardships and 
difficulties of pioneer life in the 1870’s and 
1880’s, and describe the fun and excitement 
which was a part of the daily living. 
Throughout all the stories, the warmth and 
security of family love runs like a golden 
thread which binds the books to the hearts 
of their readers. There are floods, blizzards, 
grasshopper plagues, bears and Indians, 
droughts and the fear of starvation; but there 
is the wonderful Christmas when Laura re- 
ceives her rag doll, the new house with real 
windows, trips to town, and dances. Best of 
all, there are the long winter evenings of fire- 
light and the clear singing of Pa’s fiddle. 
These mean love and security whether their 


A tender Christmas scene exemplifies the warmth 
and simple joy of pioneer living. Cover, Little 
House in the Big W'oods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. 
Illustrated by Garth Williams. Harper, 1953. 






Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 225 


cause now is now. It can never be a long time 
ago. 28 

A new uniform edition of all eight of Mrs. 
Wilder’s books was published in 1953. These 
books have been profusely illustrated by 
Garth Williams’ black-and-white sketches. 
He has captured the excitement and terror 
of many of the episodes in the books, but he 
also conveys the tenderness, love, amusement, 
and courage which were necessary requisites 
to the life of the early settlers. 

CORNELIA MEIGS 

One of Cornelia Meigs’ earliest books, The 
Willow Whistle, is still very popular with 
boys and girls in fourth and fifth grade. It 
tells the exciting story of Mary Anne who is 
taken away to visit the Indians by a friendly 
chief as a way of testing her father’s friend- 
ship. His tribe is suddenly attacked by the 
unfriendly Arickarees. Mary Anne’s father, 
her friend Eric, and the Sioux chief search 
diligently for her. Eric finally finds her by 
the sound of the willow whistle which he 
had taught her to make. This is an exciting 
story, but its true message is that of the im- 
portance of understanding and cooperation 
between races. It has much to say to the mod- 
ern-day child. Other exciting stories by 
Cornelia Meigs include Master Simon’s Gar- 
den , New Moon, Wind in the Chimney, Fair 
Wind to Virginia and The Dutch Colt. The 
last one would delight horse lovers as it re- 
lates the adventure of Hugh’s search for the 
stolen colt of William Penn. All the books 
by Cornelia Meigs are well-written with ex- 
citing plots. They include more description 
than some children enjoy, but they give a 
definite feeling for the time and place of their 
historical period. 

CAROL RYRIE BRINK 

One of intermediate-grade children’s fa- 
vorite books of historical fiction is Carol 
Ryrie Brink’s Caddie Woodlawn . While this 
is a story of pioneer life in Wisconsin during 

“Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big 
Woods. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1953. p. 238. 


the Civil War period, it is primarily the story 
of the growing-up of tomboy Caddie. Caddie 
had been a frail baby and her father had 
persuaded her mother to allow her to be 
raised more freely than her older sister, Clara, 
who was restricted by the rules of decorum 
for young ladies. Instead, Caddie was free to 
run about the half-wild Wisconsin frontier 
with her two brothers. Their escapades and 
adventures read like a pioneer “Tom 
Sawyer.” However, the pranks they played 
on their cousin Annabelle from the city were 
harder on Caddie than Annabelle. Gradually, 
but surely, Caddie grows up. As she waits for 
the yearly visit of the Circuit Rider, many 
thoughts pass through her mind. 

“What a lot has happened since last year when 
I dropped the nuts all over the dining-room floor. 
How far I’ve come! I’m the same girl and yet not 
the same. I wonder if it’s always like that? Folks 
keep growing from one person into another all 
their lives, and life is just a lot of everyday ad- 
ventures. Well, whatever life is, I like it.’’ 

The late afternoon sun flooded her face with 
golden light. Looking toward the approaching 
rider, her face was turned to the west. It was al- 
ways to be turned westward now, for Caddie 
Woodlawn was a pioneer and an American. 29 

WILLIAM O. STEELE 

William Steele writes vividly in The Lone 
Hunt, of a boy’s yearning to take a man’s 
part in the last buffalo hunt held in Tennes- 
see in 1810. Ever since his father died, Yance 
Caywood had had to help his mother with 
fetching, carrying, and hoeing while his 
older brother did the plowing and hunting. 
At last he is allowed to go on the buffalo 
hunt taking along his well-loved hound dog, 
Blue. It is a long trail and one by one the 
men drop out. When the snow begins, the 
last one turns back, but not Yance. His lone 
hunt through the wilderness takes courage 
and amazing ingenuity and fortitude. Yance 
kills his buffalo but loses his dog to the frozen 
river. Pride in h is accomplishment is over- 
shadowed by his grief for his dog. Yance is 

20 Carol Ryrie Brink, Caddie Woodlawn. New York: 
The Macmillan Company, 1936. p. 269-270. 



226 - Knowing Children's Literature 

grown-up when he returns from his lone 
hunt. 

In The Far Frontier , Mr. Steele again tells 
a swiftly paced story of the Tennessee fron- 
tier. This time a self-sufficient pioneer boy is 
bound out, much to his disgust and disap- 
pointment, to a ridiculous naturalist from 
Philadelphia. Tobe slowly learns to respect 
and admire Mr. Twistletree for his knowl- 
edge and his courage. 

It was queer. When he set out with Mr. Twistle- 
tree, he'd thought learning was just a way of 
getting out of work, or a weakness in the head. . . . 

But it wasn't like that really. It was like — it was 
like walking in a new country, when every time 
you saw a hill you wanted to know what lay be- 
yond it, and when every bend in a strange river 
was the bend you just had to go around and see 
what kind of country was there. It was a far fron- 
tier just waiting for somebody to lay claim to it, 
learning was. 80 

The Perilous Road is a superb story of a 
boy caught between the divided loyalties of 
the Civil War. Chris Babson, not quite twelve, 
lived in Tennessee and was certain he hated 
the Union troops. When the Yankee raiders 
steal his family's newly harvested crops, the 
Babsons' only horse, and his new deerskin 
shirt, Chris is determined to have revenge 
and sets out singlehanded to do it. He is 
caught in a bitter battle at dawn when the 
Confederates make a surprise attack. Chris 
realizes that even a Union soldier may “be a 
good decent man.” He understands the full 
meaning of his father's words, “Like I told 
you before, war is the worst thing that can 
happen to folks and the reason is it makes 
most everybody do things they shouldn’t." 31 
This is a stirring story which was a runner- 
up for the Newbery Medal. Other titles by 
the same author include The Buffalo Knife , 
Tomahawks and Trouble, Winter Danger, 
Wilderness Journey and Flaming Arrows. 
Most of Steele's books are easy enough for 

90 William O. Steele, The Far Frontier. New York: 
Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1959. p. 173. 

11 William O. Steele, The Perilous Road. New York: 
Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1958. p. 188-189. 


fourth-graders to read independently; they 
are exciting enough for all ages. 

WALTER D. EDMONDS 

The books by Walter D. Edmonds are also 
realistic and filled with suspense. The Match- 
lock Gun is based upon a true story of the 
courage of a young boy who saved his mother 
and baby sister by firing their old matchlock 
gun at raiding Indians. In the narrative, his 
mother does not give the signal to fire in 
time to save herself from a tomahawk pierc- 
ing her shoulder. Edward drags his uncon- 
scious mother from the step of the burning 
cabin and waits with Trudy for their father 
to return with the militia. This is much more 
than just an exciting story. The characters 
seem real. The reader senses the fear and 
anxiety of the parents as they hear about the 
Indians. Gertrude Van Alstyne would be 
safer at her mother-in-law’s house, but she 
prefers to be independent. The pictures by 
Paul Lantz add to the terror of this story 
which is so popular with boys in the fourth 
and fifth grades. A teacher questioned one 
nine-year-old boy who was starting this book 
for the third time that year to see if he really 
wanted to read it again. He looked up at her 
with glowing eyes and said, “This is the best 
book I have ever read, I have to read it 
again!" 

Tom Whipple is the story of a Yankee lad 
who decides to see something of the world, 
and so goes to Russia. Once there, he is not 
content until he sees the Emperor. He man- 
ages to do this with considerable Yankee in- 
genuity and the help of an acorn. This story 
is not as exciting as The Matchlock Gun but 
it is more humorous. Again, Paul Lantz did 
the black-and-white and colored illustrations. 

Two Logs Crossing, John HaskelVs Story 
is also based upon an authentic episode, as 
are all of Walter D. Edmonds’ stories. This 
is an absorbing and moving story of a young 
boy who goes fur trading with an Indian in 
the northern woods of New York in order to 
pay back his father’s debt and support his 
widowed mother and brothers and sisters. 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 227 


Primarily, this is the story of the growing-up 
of John Haskell; incidentally, it is the story 
of America. For as the author states in his 
foreword: 

To be able to do for oneself in one’s own way 
was the dream which first brought some people to 
this land. There are a few people who confuse it 
with becoming rich, but money is not the Ameri- 
can Dream and never has been. Money can be 
made of anything you choose, but a man’s life is 
made of courage, independence, decency and self- 
respect he learns to use. 32 

LOIS LENSKI 

Miss Lenski is known for her regional stories 
of America and for her popular Mr. Small 
books for younger children. She has written, 
also, several exciting books with historical 
settings. In her book, Indian Captive: the 
Story of Mary Jemison, she writes the true 
story of a twelve-year-old girl who was cap- 
tured by the Indians and taken to live with 
the Senecas. The theme of this story is the 
basic conflict between Indian and white life. 
Mary is treated kindly by the Indians as they 
adopt her into their tribe, but she is deter- 
mined to remember her white ways. Almost 
without realizing it, she begins to under- 
stand the Indians and to love them. When 
the time comes for her to decide whether she 
will remain with them or go with the English, 
she elects to stay. This is an exciting and 
moving story that children will not soon for- 
get. Another title by the same author is 
Puritan Adventure which presents a delight- 
ful picture of the Puritans of the Massachu- 
setts Bay Colony. 

ESTHER FORBES 

The story of Johnny Tremain grew out of 
the research which Esther Forbes had done 
for her adult biography of Paul Revere. This 
is the story of a silversmith’s apprentice, a 
conceited cocky young lad who is good at his 
trade and knows it. The other apprentices 
are resentful of his overbearing manner and 

“Walter D. Edmonds, In the author’s foreword to 
Two Logs Crossing, John Haskell’s Story. New York: 
Dodd, Mead & Company, 1943. 


determine to get even with him. Their prac- 
tical joke has disastrous results, and Johnny’s 
hand is maimed for life. 

Out of a job and embittered, Johnny joins 
his friend Rab and becomes involved in pre- 
Revolutionary activities. As a dispatch rider 
for the Committee of Public Safety, Johnny 
meets such men as Paul Revere, John Han- 
cock, and Samuel Adams. Slowly, gradually, 
Johnny regains his self-confidence and over- 
comes his bitterness. His friend Rab is killed 
in the first skirmish of the Revolution and 
Johnny is crushed, but not completely. Some- 
how this greatest blow toughens his fiber and 
Johnny Tremain becomes a man — a man of 
fortitude and courage — a new man of a new 
nation. This is a stirring story which appeals 
to young people and adults. It is historical 
fiction at its best. 

There are many other well-written books 
of historical fiction which deserve to be men- 
tioned. Children in the intermediate grades 
still enjoy Meadowcroft’s By Secret Railway 
and Holding the Fort with Daniel Boone , 
Crawford’s delightful Hello, the Boat and 
Carr’s Children of the Covered Wagon. 
Older readers appreciate Field’s Calico Bush 
and Hepatica Hawks; Speare’s Calico Cap- 
tive and The Witch of Blackbird Pond; 
Latham’s This Dear-Bought Land; and 
Keith’s Rifles for Watie . These stories re- 
quire mature reading ability, however. 

Historical Fiction — Old World 

There are fewer stories with old-world set- 
tings than those of the new world. Some of 
the most distinguished are identified in the 
next few pages. 

CLYDE BULLA 

In The Sword in the Tree, Clyde Bulla has 
presented the story of a boy who saved his 
father and Weldon Castle by bravely going 
to King Arthur. Through treachery, Shan’s 
uncle makes his own brother a captive and 
takes control of the castle. Young Shan and 
his mother escape and make the dangerous 
trip to King Arthur’s court. Sir Gareth is 



r i 

' TT 


THE DOOR IN THE WALL 

A mural of textured cloth interprets mediaval life described in historical fiction. Created 
by Ann Ritchie, student, Purdue University. 


sent back with Shan to investigate. The uncle 
has dismissed all of the trusted servants, so 
no one recognizes Shan when he returns ex- 
cept old Napper, a deaf and dumb servant. 
By remembering where he hid his father’s 
sword in a tree, Shan establishes his identity 
as rightful owner of Weldon Castle. This is 
an easy reading book with excitement on 
every page. It has more than just a lively 
plot, however, for it presents an interesting 
picture of the justice of the times. 

JANICE HOLLAND 

In Christopher Goes to the Castle, Holland 
has presented the adventures of a page boy 
in the days when knights were bold. This is 
a simple story of a boy’s love for his beautiful 
white horse and his almost unbearable grief 
when misfortune separates them. The spirit 
of the times is presented in the text of this 
story of the training of a knight. It is cap- 
tured in large colored pictures which faith- 
fully present scenes of both the interior and 


exterior of the castle. Boys will enjoy the 
detailed drawings of Kentsford Castle and 
the Duke of Kentsford in his armor mounted 
on his white horse, splendid with its scarlet 
brocade trappings. The labels will be useful 
for those children who wish to make models 
or pictures of medieval days. 

MARGUERITE DE ANGELI 

Marguerite de Angeli has written many 
books, but her finest is The Door in the Wall, 
Newbery award winner for 1950. Set against 
a background of fourteenth-century England, 
Mrs. de Angeli has painted in words and 
pictures the dramatic story of Robin, crip- 
pled son of Sir John de Bureford. Robin’s 
father has gone off to the Scottish wars, his 
mother is in service to the Queen, and Robin 
is to go to the castle in the north to serve as 
a page to Sir Peter de Lindsay. He becomes 
ill with the plague however and is taken to 
the monastery by Brother Luke. There 
Robin learns many things: to whittle, to 


Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 229 


swim, to read, to write, and above all to 
have patience — all “doors in the wall,” ac- 
cording to Brother Luke. For “whether 
thou’lt walk soon I know not. This I know. 
We must teach thy hands to be skillful in 
many ways, and we must teach thy mind to 
go about whether thy legs will carry thee or 
no. For reading is another door in the wall, 
dost understand, my son?” 33 Finally Robin 
is well enough to travel to Peter's castle. Dur- 
ing a siege of the castle Robin finds a way 
to aid his king. Robin, or Sir Robin as he 
becomes for his exploits, is reunited with his 
father and mother. This is a beautiful book, 
in format and text. Mrs. de Angeli visited 
England and saw many of the churches, 
castles, and inns which she has portrayed in 
the background of her pictures. The pag- 
eantry of the medieval days and the hard- 
ships of living in that period are all conveyed 
in The Door in the Wall. 

A trip to Scotland gave her the material 
for Black Fox of Lorne, the story of Norse 
twins who seek to avenge their father’s death 
in Scotland during the tenth century. The 
plot revolves around the maneuvers of the 
boys to keep their double identity a secret 
from their enemies. After many exciting ad- 
ventures the boys and their mother are re- 
united and converted to Christianity. Their 
deception serves them well and their father 
is avenged. This is a longer and more difficult 
book than Door in the Wall . The individual 
character of each of the twins never emerges. 
Boys will enjoy the excitement and the mys- 
tery of the plot. 

ELIZABETH JANET GRAY 

Thirteenth century England is the setting 
for the Newbery Award winner, Adam of the 
Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray. It is the story 
of Adam, the son of a minstrel, his father, 
and Adam’s devoted dog, Nick. On their way 
to the great Fair of St. Giles, Nick is stolen. 
In the frantic chase which follows, Adam is 
separated from his father. It takes a whole 
long winter to find both Nick and Roger 

“Marguerite de Angeli, The Door in the Wall. 
New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1949. p. 28. 


again. Adam has many adventures and some 
disasters but he learns that the road is home 
to the minstrel and that people generally 
are kind. This story is exciting and authen- 
tic. Gray’s characterization of Adam is very 
well drawn, showing that time and years 
don’t change the universality of the nature 
of a boy. While the story has action, it also 
includes many thoughtful commentaries on 
life. In the following quote, Adam has been 
embarrassed by his own stupid behavior in 
front of Lady Emilie. The lady had laughed 
at him and one of her admirers has asked 
Adam how he managed to make her do this: 

Adam hesitated. Then he told the story. He 
exaggerated it a little. He played the sour notes 
on his harp and he made them sound even worse 
than they had. The young squire, who had been 
looking rather unhappy, threw back his head and 
shouted with laughter. Adam threw back his head 
too and laughed, strangely eased of pain. For the 
first time in his life he had played the part of an 
oyster. He had taken the bit of grit that was 
scratching him and made something of it that was 
comfortable to him and pleasing to someone out- 
side. 34 

The black-and-white sketches by Robert 
Lawson enhance the feeling for both time 
and place which Miss Gray has so success- 
fully portrayed by her own word pictures. 

ROSEMARY SUTCLIFF 

More mature readers will enjoy the fine his- 
torical fiction by the English author, Rose- 
mary Sutcliff. Miss Sutcliff has vividly por- 
trayed the period of Roman Britain in her 
books, The Eagle of the Ninth , The Silver 
Branch and The Lantern Bearers . In The 
Armourer's House she describes London dur- 
ing the reign of Henry VIII and in Warrior 
Scarlet she writes of England during the 
Bronze Age. She recreates an historical per- 
iod with authentic detail and excitement for 
living. Her characterizations are superb for 
she seems to have the ability to look into the 
hearts and minds of these ancient peoples. 
Miss Sutcliff ’s books speak of history but 

“Elizabeth Janet Gray, Adam of the Road. New 
York: The Viking Press, 1942. p. 63. 



230 Knowing Children's Literature 

they also speak prophetically of the world 
today. In The Lantern Bearers, Aquila, the 
last of the Roman Auxiliaries discusses the 
latest victory over the barbarians with an old 
physician. Eugenus answers him: 

I sometimes think that we stand at sunset 

It may be that the night will close over us in the 
end, but I believe that morning will come again. 
Morning always grows again out of the darkness, 
though maybe not for the people who saw the sun 
go down. We are the Lantern Bearers, my friend; 
for us to keep something burning, to carry what 
light we can forward into the darkness and the 
wind. 30 

Fine historical fiction can in its own way 
be a lantern bearer, too, casting light into 
the shadows of the past and illuminating the 
way ahead. Children are richer for knowing 
their historical heritage. They are fortunate 
to be introduced to it through the artistry of 
the authors' books described in this chapter. 


SUMMARY 

Children may obtain information and appre- 
ciation of their historical heritage by reading 
the many varied and expertly written books 
in this field. The new phenomena of chil- 
dren's literature, the attractive, factual book, 
is making its appearance in straightforward 
presentations of history. Well-written biogra- 
phies and biographical series will help chil- 
dren to identify with great lives of the past. 
Books of historical fiction may recreate 
the atmosphere, spirit, and excitement of 
another age. The past is not dead, it is a 
part of the living heritage of each one of us. 
But through books children may vicariously 
enjoy the joys and hardships of previous 
generations. 

Teachers will want to use these books to 
enrich and extend the social studies. But 
many of these books need no justification for 
their use — they represent literature for chil- 
dren at its finest. 

“Rosemary Sut cliff, The Lantern Bearers. New 
York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 1959. p. 250. 


SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES 

1. Using the criteria established in this 
chapter, 

a) Compare three factual books of history. 

b) Compare three biographies of the same 
person. 

c) Compare three historical fiction books 
of the same period. 

2. Assume you were guiding a study of the 
pioneers in the third grade. Make an 
annotated list of the factual, biographical, 
and fictional books you would want to use. 

3. Compare America's Paul Revere by Esther 
Forbes and Johnny Tremain by the same 
author. What are the values of each book? 
Which one gives a better picture of the 
times? Which one would children prefer? 

4. Compare and contrast Ben and Me by 
Lawson, Judson’s Benjamin Franklin and 
Daugherty’s Poor Richard. What are the 
strengths and appeals of each book? 

5. Compare some of the recent factual books 
in history with children’s social-studies 
texts. How are they alike, different? 

6. Ask a group of fourth or fifth graders to 
each make a list of their ten favorite 
books. What percentage of these can be 
classified as historical in nature? 

7. Using the pattern developed by Genevieve 
Foster in her “World” books, outline the 
events throughout the world which have 
occurred in your lifetime. Would such a 
project help children recognize history in 
the making? 

8. What insights and understandings of 
child development may be derived from 
reading the Wilder books? 

RELATED READINGS 

Arbuthnot, May Hill. Children and Books. Revised 
Edition. Chicago: Scott Foresman & Company, 
1957. 

Chapter 18 of this book gives a comprehensive 
account of biography for children. Historical fic- 
tion is discussed in Chapter 16, pages 432-450. Both 
these sections of Mrs. Arbuthnot's book are well- 
written and clearly organized. 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 231 


Jarolimek, John. Social Studies in Elementary Educa- 
tion. New York: The Macmillan Co., 1959. 
“Historical Elements in the Social Studies” is the 
title of Chapter ll f pages 250-267. Jarolimek dis- 
cusses the place of history in the social studies cur- 
riculum. He includes a brief discussion of reading 
materials and some consideration of children's time 
concepts. 

Michaelis, John U. Social Studies for Children in a 
Democracy. Second Edition. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: 
Prentice- Hall, 1956. 

Michaelis discusses the use of reading materials and 
literature in the social studies curriculum in Chap- 
ter 12. He suggests specific techniques which 
teachers should keep in mind as they guide chil- 
dren’s reading in this field. A sound point of view 
on the teaching of social studies. 

Miller, Bertha Mahony and Elinor Whitney Field. 
Newbery Medal Books: 1922-1955. Boston: The 
Horn Book, 1955. 

The acceptance speech of Elizabeth Janet Gray for 
her award winning book Adam of the Road is well 
worth reading. Titled “History is People,” the 
speech describes her philosophy of writing his- 
torical fiction for young people. May Massee's 
biographical sketch of Elizabeth Janet Gray is also 
interesting reading. 

Smith, Lillian H. The Unreluctant Years. Chicago: 
American Library Association, 1953. 

Historical fiction is discussed in Chapter Eleven. 
Careful analysis of some of the classics of historical 
fiction for children reveals criteria for evaluation 
of today's literature. 

Tooze, Ruth and Beatrice P. Krone. Literature and 
Music as Resources for Social Studies. Englewood 
Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice Hall, 1955. 

An excellent guide to the selection of related ma- 
terials which can be utilized in social studies units. 
Suggests factual books of history, biography, and 
historical fiction for use with particular units of 
study. 


CHAPTER REFERENCES 

Adams, Samuel Hopkins. The Pony Express. Illus- 
trated by Lee J. Ames. New York: Random House, 
Inc., 1950. 

d’Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar (authors-illustrators) . 
Abraham Lincoln. Revised edition. New York: 
Doubleday Sc Company, Inc., 1957. 

Benjamin Franklin. New York: Doubleday & 

Company, Inc., 1950. 

Buffalo Bill. New York: Doubleday & Com- 
pany, Inc., 1952. 

Columbus. New York: Doubleday Sc Company, 

Inc., 1955. 


George Washington. New York: Doubleday 

& Company, Inc., 1936. 

Leif, the Lucky. New York: Doubleday Sc 

Company, Inc., 1951. 

Pocahontas. New York: Doubleday & Com- 
pany, Inc., 1949. 

Averill, Esther H. Cartier Sails the St. Lawrence . 
Illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky. New York: 
Harper Sc Brothers, 1956. 

Daniel Boone. Illustrated by Feodor Rojan- 
kovsky. New York: Harper Sc Brothers, 1946. 

Baity, Elizabeth C. Americans Before Columbus . 
Illustrated by C. B. Falls. New York: The Viking 
Press, 1951. 

Baker, Nina Brown. Amerigo Vespucci. Illustrated 
by Paul Valentino. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 
Inc., 1956. 

Big Catalogue: the Life of Montgomery Ward. 

Illustrated by Alan Moyler. New York: Harcourt, 
Brace & Company, 1956. 

Juarez: Hero of Mexico. Illustrated by Marian 

Greenwood. New York: Vanguard Press, 1942. 

Lenin. Illustrated by Louis Slobodkin. New 

York: Vanguard Press, 1945. 

Nickels and Dimes: the Story of F. W. Wool- 

worth. Illustrated by Douglas Gorsline. New York: 
Harcourt, Brace Sc Company, 1954. 

Peter the Great. Illustrated by Louis Slobod- 
kin. New York: Vanguard Press, 1943. 

Pike of Pike’s Peak. Illustrated by Richard 

Powers. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1953. 

Simon Bolivar. Illustrated by Joseph Stefanelli. 

St. Louis, Mo.: Webster Publishers, 1947. 

Sir Walter Raleigh. New York: Harcourt, 

Brace & Company, 1950. 

Story of Abraham Lincoln. Illustrated by 

Warren Baumgartner. New York: Grosset & Dun- 
lap, Inc., 1952. 

Story of Christopher Columbus. Illustrated by 

David Hendrickson. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 
Inc., 1952. 

Sun Yat-sen. Illustrated by Jeanyee Wong. 

New York: Vanguard Press, 1946. 

Bishop, Claire Huchet. Twenty and Ten. Illustrated 
by William Pene du Bois. New York: The Viking 
Press, 1952. 

Blackstock, Josephine. Songs For Sixpence. Illustrated 
by Maurice Bower. Chicago: Follett Publishing 
Co., 1955. 

Bleeker, Sonia. The Apache Indians, Raiders of the 
Southwest. Illustrated by Althea Karr. New York: 
William Morrow Sc Company, Inc., 1951. 

The Cherokee, Indians of the Mountains. 

Illustrated by Althea Karr. New York: William 
Morrow & Company, Inc., 1952. 

The Chippewa Indians , Rice Gatherers of the 

Great Lakes. Illustrated by Patricia Boodell. New 
York: William Morrow & Company, Inc., 1955. 

The Crow Indians, Hunters of the Northern 



232 - Knowing Children’s Literature 

Plains. Illustrated by Althea Karr. New York: Wil- 
liam Morrow & Company, Inc., 1953. 

The Delaware Indians, Eastern Fishermen 

and Farmers. Illustrated by Patricia Boodell. New 
York: William Morrow & Company, Inc., 1953. 

Norsemen of the Western Plateaus, The Nez 

Perce Indians. Illustrated by Patricia Boodell. New 
York: William Morrow & Company, Inc., 1957. 

Indians of the Longhouse, the Story of the 

Iroquois. Illustrated by Althea Karr. New York: 
William Morrow & Company, Inc., 1950. 

The Mission Indians of California. Illus- 
trated by Althea Karr. New York: William Morrow 
& Company, Inc., 1956. 

The Navajo, Herders, Weavers, and Silver- 
smiths. Illustrated by Patricia Boodell. New York: 
William Morrow & Company, Inc., 1958. 

The Pueblo Indians, Farmers of the Rio 

Grande. Illustrated by Patricia Boodell. New York: 
William Morrow & Company, Inc., 1955. 

The Sea Hunters, Indians of the Northwest 

Coast. Illustrated by Althea Karr. New York: Wil- 
liam Morrow & Company, Inc., 1951. 

The Seminole Indians. Illustrated by Althea 

Karr. New York: William Morrow & Company, 
Inc., 1954. 

Bliven, Bruce. The American Revolution, 1760-1783. 
Illustrated by Albert Orbaan. New York: Random 
House, Inc., 1958. 

Boardman, Fon Wyman. Castles. New York: Oxford 
University Press, 1957. 

Brewster, Benjamin (Mary Elting) . The First Book 
of Indians. Illustrated by Ursula Koering. New 
York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1950. 

Brink, Carol Ryrie. Caddie Woodlawn. Illustrated by 
Kate Seredy. New York: The Macmillan Company, 
1936. 

Narcissa Whitman, Pioneer to the Oregon 

Country. Illustrated by Samuel Armstrong. Evans- 
ton, 111.: Row, Peterson, 1950. 

Buck, Pearl S. Man Who Changed China: the Story 
of Sun Yat-Sen. Illustrated by Fred Castellon. New 
York: Random House, Inc., 1953. 

Buehr, Walter (author-illustrator) . The Crusaders. 
New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1959. 

Knights and Castles and Feudal Life. New 

York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1957. 

Bulla, Clyde Robert. John Billington , Friend of 
Squanto. Illustrated by Peter Burchard. New York: 
Thomas Y. Crowell, 1956. 

Squanto, Friend of the White Man. Illus- 
trated by Peter Burchard. New York: Thomas Y. 
Crowell, 1954. 

The Sword in the Tree. Illustrated by Paul 

Galdone. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1956. 

Carr, Mary Jane. Children of the Covered Wagon. 
Illustrated by Bob Kuhn. Revised edition. New 
York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1957. 


Carter, Hodding. Robert E. Lee and the Road of 
Honor. Illustrated by William Hutchinson. New 
York: Random House, Inc., 1955. 

Cavanah, Frances. Abe Lincoln Gets His Chance. 
Illustrated by Paula Hutchison. Skokie, 111.: Rand 
McNally & Company, 1959. 

Our Country's Story. Illustrated by Janice 

Holland. Skokie, 111.: Rand McNally & Company, 
1945. 

They Knew Abe Lincoln. Illustrated by Harve 

Stein. Skokie, 111.: Rand McNally 8c Company, 1952. 
Coatsworth, Elizabeth. Aunt Flora. Illustrated by 
Manning de V. Lee. New York: The Macmillan 
Company, 1953. 

Away Goes Sally. Illustrated by Helen Sewell. 

Reissue. New York: The Macmillan Company, 
1951. 

Boston Bells. Illustrated by Manning de V. 

Lee. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1952. 
Cherry Ann and the Dragon Horse. Illus- 
trated by Manning de V. Lee. New York: The 
Macmillan Company, 1955. 

Dancing Tom. Illustrated by Grace Pauli. 

Reissue. New York: The Macmillan Company, 
1944. 

The Fair American. Illustrated by Helen 

Sewell. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1940. 

First Adventure. Illustrated by Ralph Ray. 

New York: The Macmillan Company, 1950. 

Five Bushel Farm. Illustrated by Helen 

Sewell. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1939. 

Old Whirlwind: A Story of Dairy Crockett. 

Illustrated by Manning de V. Lee. New York: The 
Macmillan Company, 1953. 

The Peddler's Cart. Illustrated by Zhenya 

Gay. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1956. 

The Sod House. Illustrated by Manning de 

V. Lee. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1954. 

The White Horse. Illustrated by Helen 

Sewell. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1942. 

The Wishing Pear. Illustrated by Ralph Ray. 

New York: The Macmillan Company, 1951. 

The Wonderful Day. Illustrated by Helen 

Sewell. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1946. 
Comfort, Mildred Houghton. Children of the Colo- 
nies. Illustrated by Charles J. Peitz. Chicago: 
Beckley-Cardy Co., 1948. 

Children of the Mayflower. Illustrated by 

Charles J. Peitz. Chicago: Beckley-Cardy Co., 1947. 
Commager, Henry Steele. America's Robert E. Lee. 
Illustrated by Lynd Ward. Boston: Houghton 
Mifflin Company, 1951. 

The First Book of American History. Illus- 
trated by Leonard Everett Fisher. New York: 
Franklin Watts, Inc., 1957. 

The Great Declaration. Drawings by Donald 

Bolognese. Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill 
Company, 1958. 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 233 


The Great Proclamation, Indianapolis, Ind.: 

The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1960. 

Cook, Fred. The Golden Book of the American 
Revolution. Adapted from American Heritage 
Magazine. New York: Golden Press, 1959. 

Coolidge, Olivia £. Egyptian Adventures. Illustrated 
by Joseph Low. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Com- 
pany, 1954. 

Roman People. Illustrated by Lino Lipinsky. 

Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1959. 

Costain, Thomas B. Mississippi Bubble. Illustrated 
by Warren Chappell. New York: Random House, 
Inc., 1955. 

William the Conqueror. Illustrated by Jack 

Coggins. New York: Random House, Inc., 1959. 

Cousins, Margaret. Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia. 
Illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg. New York: Ran- 
dom House, Inc., 1952. 

Crawford, Phyllis. Hello , the Boat. Illustrated by 
Edward Laning. New York: Holt, Rinehart and 
Winston, Inc., 1938. 

Crouse, Anna and Russel. Alexander Hamilton and 
Aaron Burr. Illustrated by Walter Buehr. New 
York: Random House, Inc., 1958. 

Dalgliesh, Alice. Adam and the Golden Cock. Illus- 
trated by Leonard Weisgard. New York: Charles 
Scribner’s Sons, 1959. 

America Begins: The Story of the Finding of 

the New World. Pictures by Lois Maloy. Revised 
edition. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1959. 

The Columbus Story. Illustrated by Leo 

Politi. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1955. 

The Courage of Sarah Noble. Illustrated by 

Leonard Weisgard. New York: Charles Scribner’s 
Sons, 1954. 

The Fourth of July Story. Illustrated by 

Marie Nonnast. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 
1956. 

Ride on the Wind. Illustrated by Georges 

Schreiber. From The Spirit of St. Louis by Charles A. 
Lindbergh. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1956. 

The Thanksgiving Story. Illustrated by Helen 

Sewell. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1954. 

Daugherty, James (author-illustrator) . Abraham 
Lincoln. New York: The Viking Press, 1943. 

Daniel Boone. New York: The Viking Press, 

1939. 

The Landing of the Pilgrims. New York: 

Random House, Inc., 1950. 

Magna Charta. New York: Random House, 

Inc., 1956. 

Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. New York: 

The Viking Press, 1953. 

Of Courage Undaunted: Across the Con- 
tinent with Lewis and Clark. New York: The 
Viking Press, 1951. 

Poor Richard. New York: The Viking Press, 

1941. 


Trappers and Traders of the Far West. New 

York: Random House, Inc., 1952. 

De Angeli, Marguerite, (author-illustrator) . Black 
Fox of Lome. New York: Doubleday & Company, 
Inc., 1956. 

Copper Toed Boots. New York: Doubleday & 

Company, Inc., 1938. 

The Door in the Wall. New York: Doubleday 

& Company, Inc., 1949. 

Elin's Amerika. New York: Doubleday & Com- 
pany, Inc., 1941. 

Thee, Hannah! New York: Doubleday & 

Company, Inc., 1949. 

Dorian, Edith and W. N. Wilson. Trails West and 
Men Who Made Them. New York: Whittlesey 
House, 1955. 

Dreany, E. Joseph. A Child's Book of Mankind 
Through the Ages. New York: Maxton Publishers, 
Inc., 1955. 

Duvoisin, Roger (author-illustrator) . And There 
Was America. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 
1938. 

The Four Corners of the World. New York: 

Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1948. 

Edmonds, Walter D. The Matchlock Gun. Illustrated 
by Paul Lantz. Dodd, Mead & Co., 1941. 

Tom Whipple. Illustrated by Paul Lantz. 

Dodd, Mead & Co., 1942. 

Two Logs Crossing: John Haskells Story. 

Illustrated by Tibor Gergely. Dodd, Mead & Co., 
1943. 

Field, Rachel. Calico Bush. Engraved on wood by 
Allen Lewis. New York: The Macmillan Company, 

1931, reissue 1946. 

Hepatica Hawks. Engravings on wood by 

Allen Lewis. New York: The Macmillan Company, 

1932. 

Fish, Helen Dean. Pegs of History. Illustrated by 
Rafaello Busoni. Philadelphia: Stokes, 1943. 

Fisher, Dorothy Canfield. Our Independence and the 
Constitution. Illustrated by Robert Doremus. New 
York: Random House, Inc., 1950. 

Paul Revere and the Minute Men. Illustrated 

by Norman Price. New York: Random House, Inc., 
1950. 

Fletcher, Sydney E. (author-illustrator) . The Ameri- 
can Indian. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, Inc., 
1954. 

Forbes, Esther. America's Paul Revere. Illustrated by 
Lynd Ward. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 
1946. 

Johnny Tremain. Illustrated by Lynd Ward. 

Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1946. 

Foster, Genevieve, (author-illustrator) . Abraham 
Lincoln: An Initial Biography. New York: Charles 
Scribner’s Sons, 1950. 

Abraham Lincoln's World. New York: Charles 

Scribner’s Sons, 1944. 



234 - Knowing Children's Literature 

Andrew Jackson: an Initial Biography . New 

York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1951. 

Augustus Caesar's World. New York: Charles 

Scribner’s Sons, 1947. 

Birthdays of Freedom. Two volumes. New 

York. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1952. 

George Washington's World. New York: 

Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1941. 

The World of Captain John Smith, 1580- 

1631. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1959. 

Friedman, Estelle. Digging into Yesterday. Illustrated 
by Leonard Everett Fisher. New York: G. P. Put- 
nam’s Sons, 1958. 

Friskey, Margaret. Tad Lincoln and the Green Um- 
brella. Illustrated by Lucia Patton. New York: 
Oxford University Press, 1944. 

Fritz, Jean. The Cabin Faced West. Illustrated by 
Feodor Rojankovsky. New York: Coward-McCann, 
Inc., 1958. 

Gray, Elizabeth Janet. Adam of the Road. Illustrated 
by Robert Lawson. New York: The Viking Press, 
1944. 

Gunther, John. Alexander the Great. Illustrated by 
Isa Barnett. New York: Random House, Inc., 1953. 

Harmer, Mabel. The True Book of Pioneers. Illus- 
trated by Loran Wilford. Chicago: Childrens Press, 
Inc., 1957. 

Havighurst, Walter. The First Book of Pioneers: 
Northwest Territory. Pictures by Harve Stein. New 
York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1959. 

Hays, Wilma Pitchford. Christmas on the Mayflower. 
Illustrated by Roger Duvoisin. New York: Coward- 
McCann, Inc., 1956. 

Pilgrim Thanksgiving. Illustrated by Leonard 

Weisgard. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1955. 

Heal, Edith. The First Book of America. Illustrated 
by Fred Collins. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 
1952. 

Hofsinde, Robert (Gray-Wolf) (author-illustrator) . 
The Indian and His Horse. New York: William 
Morrow & Company, Inc., 1960. 

Indian Beadwork. New York: William Mor- 
row & Company, Inc., 1958. 

Indian Games and Crafts. New York: William 

Morrow & Company, Inc., 1957. 

Indian Picture Writing. New York: William 

Morrow & Company, Inc., 1959. 

Indian Sign Language. New York: William 

Morrow & Company, Inc., 1956. 

The Indian's Secret World. New York: Wil- 
liam Morrow & Company, Inc., 1955. 

Hogben, Lancelot. How the World Was Explored. 
Illustrated by Marie Neurath. New York: Lothrop, 
Lee & Shepard Co., Inc., 1951. 

Holbrook, Stewart H. America's Ethan Allen. Pictures 
by Lynd Ward. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Com- 
pany, 1949. 

Holland, Janice (author-illustrator) . Christopher 


Goes to the Castle. New York: Charles Scribner's 
Sons, 1957. 

Hello George Washington . Nashville, Tenn.: 

Abingdon Press, 1958. 

They Built a City: the Story of Washington , 

D. C. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1953. 

Holling, Holling C. and Lucille (authors-illustrators) . 
The Book of Indians. New York: Platt & Munk, 
Inc., 1935. 

Holling, Holling C. (author-illustrator) . The Tree 
in the Trail. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 
1942. 

Household, Geoffrey. The Exploits of Xenophon. 
Illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher. New York: 
Random House, Inc., 1955. 

Israel, Marion. Apaches. Illustrated by Harry Tim- 
mins. Chicago: Melmont Publishers, 1959. 

Dakotas. Illustrated by Paul Souza. Chicago: 

Melmont Publishers, 1959. 

Johnson, Gerald White. America Grows Up. Illus- 
trated by Leonard Everett Fisher. New York: Wil- 
liam Morrow & Company, Inc., 1960. 

America Is Born. Illustrated by Leonard 

Everett Fisher. New York: William Morrow & 
Company, Inc., 1959. 

Judson, Clara Ingram. Abraham Lincoln, Friend of 
the People. Drawings by Robert Frankenberg. 
Kodachromes of the Chicago Historical Society 
Lincoln dioramas. Chicago: Follett Publishing 
Company, 1950. 

Andrew Jackson, Frontier Statesman. Illus- 
trated by Lorence F. Bjorklund. Chicago: Follett 
Publishing Company, 1954. 

George Washington, Leader of the People. 

Illustrated by Robert Frankenberg. New York: 
Follett Publishing Company, 1951. 

James Jerome Hill. Illustrated by Keith Ward. 

Evanston, 111.: Row, Peterson, 1950. 

Mr. Justice Holmes. Illustrated by Robert 

Todd. Chicago: Follett Publishing Company, 1956. 

Theodore Roosexfelt, Fighting Patriot. Illus- 
trated by Lorence F. Bjorklund. Chicago: Follett 
Publishing Company, 1953. 

Thomas Jefferson, Champion of the People. 

Illustrated by Robert Frankenberg. Chicago: Follett 
Publishing Company, 1952. 

Kantor, MacKinlay. Gettysburg. Illustrated by Don- 
ald McKay. New York: Random House; Inc., 1952. 

Lee and Grant at Appomattox. Illustrated by 

Donald McKay. New York: Random House, Inc., 
1950. 

Kay, Helen. Lincoln: a Big Man. Illustrated by 
Arthur Polonsky. New York: Hastings House, 
Publishers, Inc., 1958. 

Keith, Harold. Rifles for Watie. New York: Thomas 
Y. Crowell, 1957. 

Kjelgaard, Arthur. Coming of the Mormons. Illus- 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 235 


trated by Stephen J. Voorhies. New York: Random 
House, Inc., 1955. 

Explorations of Pere Marquette. Illustrated 

by Stephen J. Voorhies. New York: Random House, 
Inc., 1951. 

Lancaster, Bruce. The American Revolution. Illus- 
trated by Lee J. Ames. New York: Doubleday & 
Company, Inc., 1957. 

Latham, Jean Lee. Carry On , Mr. Bowditch. Illustra- 
ted by John O’Hara Cosgrave II. Boston: Houghton 
Mifflin Company, 1955. 

Medals for Morse. Illustrated by Douglas 

Gorsline. New York: Aladdin, 1954. 

This Dear-Bought Land. Pictures by Jacob 

Landau. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1957. 

Trail Blazer of the Seas. Illustrated by Victor 

Mays. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1956. 

Young Man in a Hurry. Illustrated by Victor 

Mays. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1958. 

Lawson, Robert (author-illustrator) . Ben and Me. 
Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1939. 

Mr. Revere and I. Boston: Little, Brown Sc 

Company, 1953. 

Watchwords of Liberty, a Pageant of Ameri- 
can Quotations. Revised edition. Boston: Little, 
Brown & Company, 1957. 

Lenski, Lois (author-illustrator) . Indian Captive. 
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1941. 

Puritan Adventure. Philadelphia: J. B. Lip- 
pincott Company, 1944. 

LeSueur, Meridel. Nancy Hanks of Wilderness Road. 
Illustrated by Betty Alden. New York: Alfred A. 
Knopf, Inc., 1949. 

Lewellen, John B. The True Book of Knights. Illus- 
trated by Frances Eckart. Chicago: Childrens Press, 
Inc., 1956. 

Martini, Teri. The True Book of Indians. Illustrated 
by Charles Heston. Chicago: Childrens Press, Inc., 
1954. 

Mason, F. Van Wyck. The Winter at Valley Forge. 
Illustrated by Harper Johnson. New York: Random 
House, Inc., 1953. 

Mason, Miriam E. Caroline and Her Kettle Named 
Maud. Illustrated by Kathleen Voute. New York: 
The Macmillan Company, 1951. 

Kate Douglas Wiggins: the Little School- 
teacher. Illustrated by Dorothy Bay ley Morse. 
Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 
1958. 

Susannah , the Pioneer Cow. Illustrated by 

Maude and Miska Petersham. New York: The Mac- 
millan Company, 1941. 

Young Mr. Meeker and His Exciting Journey 

to Oregon. Drawings by Sandra James. Indianapo- 
lis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1952. 

McNeer, May Yonge. America’s Abraham Lincoln. 
Illustrated by Lynd Ward. Boston: Houghton 
Mifflin Company, Inc., 1957. 


Armed with Courage. Illustrated by Lynd 

Ward. Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1957. 

The California Gold Rush. Illustrated by 

Lynd Ward. New York: Random House, Inc., 1950. 

John Wesley. Illustrated by Lynd Ward. 

Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1951. 

Martin Luther. Illustrated by Lynd Ward. 

Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1953. 

War Chief of the Seminoles. Illustrated by 

Lynd Ward. New York: Random House, Inc., 1954. 

McSwigan, Marie. Snow Treasure. Illustrated by Mary 
Reardon. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 
1942. 

Meadowcroft, Enid LaMonte. By Secret Railway. 
Illustrated by Henry C. Pitz. New York: Thomas Y. 
Crowell, 1948. 

The First Year. Illustrated by Grace Pauli. 

New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1946. 

Gift of the River. Illustrated by Katherine 

Dewey. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1937. 

Holding the Fort with Daniel Boone. Illus- 
trated by Lloyd Coe. New York: Thomas Y. 
Crowell, 1958. 

Meigs, Cornelia. The Dutch Colt. Illustrated by 
George and Doris Hauman. New York: The Mac- 
millan Company. 1952. 

Fair Wind to Virginia. Illustrated by John 

Wonsetler. New York: The Macmillan Company, 
1955. 

Master Simon’s Garden. Illustrated by John 

Rae. The Macmillan Company, 1929. 

New Moon. New York: The Macmillan Com- 
pany, 1929. 

The Willow Whistle. Illustrated by E. Boyd 

Smith. New York: The Macmillan Company, 
1931. 

Wind in the Chimney. Illustrated by Louise 

Mansfield. New York: The Macmillan Company, 
1934. 

Miers, Earl Schenck. Billy Yank and Johnny Reb; 
How They Fought and Made Up. Illustrated by 
Leonard Vosburgh. Skokie, 111.: Rand McNally Sc 
Company, 1959. 

The Rainbow Book of American History. 

Illustrated by James Daugherty. Cleveland: World 
Publishing Company, 1955. 

Morris, Richard B. First Book of the American Revo- 
lution. Illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher. New 
York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1956. 

The First Book of the Indian Wars. Illustra- 
ted by Leonard Everett Fisher. Maps by Mildred 
Watlup. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1959. 

Moyers, William and David C. Cooke. Famous Indian 
Tribes. Illustrated by William Moyers. New York: 
Random House, 1954. 

Neyhart, Louise A. (author-illustrator) . Henry’s 
Lincoln. New York: Holiday House, 1945. 

Nolan, Jeannette Covert. Abraham Lincoln. Illus- 



236 - Knowing Children’s Literature 

trated by Lee Ames. New York: Julian Messner, 
Inc., 1953. 

North, Sterling. George Washington: Frontier Colo- 
nel. Illustrated by Lee Ames. New York: Random 
House, 1957. 

Pauli, Hertha. Lincoln's Little Correspondent. Illus- 
trated by Fritz Kredel. New York: Doubleday & 
Company, Inc., 1952. 

Paulmier, Hilah. Abe Lincoln Anthology. Illustrated 
by Lee Ames. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 
1953. 

Peattie, Donald Culross. A Child's Story of the World. 
Illustrated by Naomi Averill. New York: Simon 8c 
Schuster, Inc., 1937. 

Petersham, Maud and Miska (authors-illustrators) . 
The Silver Mace, a Story of Williamsburg. New 
York: The Macmillan Company, 1956. 

Story of the Presidents of the United States 

of America. New York: The Macmillan Company, 
1953. 

Pinkerton, Robert E. The First Overland Mail. Illus- 
trated by Paul Lantz. New York: Random House, 
Inc., 1953. 

Pistorius, Anna (author-illustrator) . What Indian 
Is It? Chicago: Follett Publishing Company, 1956. 
Pratt, Fletcher. The Civil War. Illustrated by Lee J. 
Ames. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 
1955. 

The Monitor and the Merrimac. Illustrated 

by John O’Hara Cosgrave II. New York: Random 
House, 1951. 

Randall, Ruth Painter. Lincoln's Animal Friends. 
Illustrated by Louis Darling. New York: Little, 
Brown 8c Company, 1958. 

Reeder, Russell Potter (Colonel Red Reeder) . The 
Story of the Civil War. Illustrated by Frederick 
Chapman. New York: Duell, Sloan 8c Pearce, Inc., 

1958. 

The Story of the Revolutionary War. Illus- 
trated by Frederick Chapman. New York: Duel], 
Sloan 8c Pearce, Inc., 1959. 

Rich, Louise Dickinson. The First Book of the Early 
Settlers. Pictures by Douglas Gorsline. New York: 
Franklin Watts, Inc., 1959. 

Robinson, C. A., Jr., The First Book of Ancient Rome. 

New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1959. 

Sandburg, Carl. Abraham Lincoln Grows Up. Re- 
printed from Abraham Lincoln, the Prairie Years. 
Illustrated by James Daugherty. New York: Har- 
court, Brace 8c Company, 1928. 

Scheele, William Earl (author-illustrator) . The Cave 
Hunters. Cleveland. World Publishing Company, 

1959. 

Shapiro, Irwin, (editor) . Golden Book of America. 
Illustrated. Adapted from American Heritage 
Magazine. New York: Simon 8c Schuster, Inc., 1957. 
Snyder, Louis Leo. The First Book of the Soviet 
Union. Illustrated. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 
1958. 


The First Book of World War I. Illustrated. 

New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1958. 

The First Book of World War II. Maps by 

Leonard Derwinski. New York: Franklin Watts, 
Inc., 1958. 

Sobol, Donald J. The First Book of Medieval Man. 
Illustrated by Lili Rethi. New York: Franklin 
Watts, Inc., 1959. 

Speare, Elizabeth G. Calico Captive. Illustrated by 
W. T. Mars. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 
1957. 

Witch of Blackbird Pond. Boston: Houghton 

Mifflin Company, 1958. 

Sperry, Armstrong (author-illustrator) . Captain Cook 
Explores the South Seas. New York: Random 
House, Inc., 1955. 

Captain James Cook. Evanston, 111.: Row, 

Peterson, 1953. 

John Paul Jones, Fighting Sailor. New York: 

Random House, Inc., 1955. 

Voyages of Christopher Columbus. New York: 

Random House, Inc., 1950. 

Steele, William O. Buffalo Knife. Illustrated by Paul 
Galdone. New York;. Harcourt, Brace 8c Company, 
1952. 

The Far Frontier. Illustrated by Paul Gal- 
done. New York: Harcourt, Brace 8c Company, 
1959. 

Flaming Arrow. Illustrated by Paul Galdone. 

New York: Harcourt, Brace 8c Company, 1957. 

The Lone Hunt. Illustrated by Paul Galdone. 

New York: Harcourt, Brace 8c Company, 1956. 
The Perilous Road. Illustrated by Paul Gal- 
done. New York: Harcourt, Brace 8c Company, 1958. 

Tomahawks and Trouble. Illustrated by Paul 

Galdone. New York: Harcourt, Brace 8c Company, 
1955. 

Wilderness Journey. Illustrated by Paul Gal- 
done. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1953. 

Winter Danger. Illustrated by Paul Galdone. 

New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1954. 
Stevenson, Augusta. Nathan Hale: Puritan Boy. 
Illustrated by Leslie Golstein. Indianapolis, Ind.: 
The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1959. 

Stewart, George R. To California By Covered Wagon. 
Illustrated by William Moyers. New York: Random 
House, Inc., 1954. 

Sutcliff, Rosemary Armourer's House. Illustrated by 
C. W. Hodges. New York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 
1951. 

The Eagle of the Ninth. Illustrated by C. W. 

Hodges. New York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 1954. 
Lantern Bearers. Illustrated by Charles Keep- 
ing. New York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 1959. 

Silver Branch. Illustrated by Charles Keeping. 

New York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 1958. 

Warrior Scarlet. Illustrated by Charles Keep- 
ing. New York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 1958. 

Syme, Ronald. Cortes of Mexico. Illustrated by 



Children Identify with Their Historical Heritage - 237 


William Stobbs. New York: William Morrow & 
Company, Inc., 1951. 

John Smith of Virginia. Illustrated by Wil- 
liam Stobbs. New York: William Morrow & Co., 
Inc., 1951. 

Vasco da Gama. Illustrated by William Stobbs. 

New York: William Morrow 8c Company, Inc., 1959. 

Tunis, Edwin (author-illustrator) . Colonial Living. 
Cleveland. World Publishing Company, 1957. 

Indians. Cleveland: World Publishing Com- 
pany, 1959. 

Van Loon, Hendrik (author-illustrator) . The Story 
of Mankind. New York: Liveright Publishing 
Corp., 1921, new enlarged edition 1951. 

Van Riper, Guernsey. Lou Gehrig, Boy of the Sand 
Lots. Illustrated by Paul Laune. Indianapolis, Ind.: 
The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1949. 

Vinton, Iris. Story of Edith Cavell. Illustrated by 
Gerald McCann. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, Inc., 
1959. 

Story of John Paul Jones. Illustrated by Ed- 
ward A. Wilson. New York: Grosset 8c Dunlap, Inc., 
1953. 

Story of Robert E. Lee. Illustrated by John 

Alan Maxwell. New York: Grosset 8c Dunlap, Inc., 
1952. 

Watson, Jane Werner. The Golden History of the 
World. Illustrated by Cornelius De Witt. New 
York: Simon 8c Schuster, Inc., 1955. 

West, Anthony. The Crusaders. Illustrated by Carl 
Rose. New York: Random House, Inc., 1954. 

Wheeler, Opal. Hans Andersen: Son of Denmark. 
Illustrated by Henry C. Pitz. New York: E. P. Dut- 
ton 8c Co., Inc., 1951. 

Wheeler, Opal and Sybil Deucher. Joseph Haydn, 
the Merry Little Peasant. Illustrated by Mary 
Greenvalt. New York: E. P. Dutton 8c Co., Inc., 
1936. 


Mozart, the Wonder Boy. Illustrated by Mary 

Greenvalt. New York: E. P. Dutton 8c Co., Inc., 
1941. 

White, Anne Terry. The First Men in the World. 
Illustrated by Aldren Watson. New York: Random 
House, Inc., 1953. 

Lost Worlds: Adventures in Archaeology. New 

York: Random House, Inc., 1941. 

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. By The Shores of Silver Lake. 
Illustrated by Garth Williams. New York: Harper 
8c Brothers, 1939, revised 1953. 

Farmer Boy. Illustrated by Garth Williams. 

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1933, revised 1953. 

Little House in the Big Woods. Illustrated by 

Garth Williams. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 
1932, revised 1953. 

Little House on the Prairie. Illustrated by 

Garth Williams. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 
1935, revised 1953. 

Little Town on the Prairie. Illustrated by 

Garth Williams. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 
1941, revised 1953. 

The Long Winter. Illustrated by Garth Wil- 
liams. New 7 York: Harper 8c Brothers, 1940, re- 
vised 1953. 

On the Banks of Plum Creek. Illustrated by 

Garth Williams. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 
1937, revised 1953. 

These Happy Golden Years. Illustrated by 

Garth Williams. New York: Harper 8c Brothers, 
1943, revised 1953. 

Wilson, Hazel. Story of Lafayette. Illustrated by Edy 
Legrand. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, Inc., 1952. 

Story of Mad Anthony Wayne. Illustrated by 

Laurence Beall Smith. New York: Grosset 8c Dun- 
lap, Inc., 1953. 

Yates, Elizabeth. Amos Fortune, Free Man. Illustrated 
by Nora S. Unwin. New York: Aladdin, 1950. 




7 -Children Seek Understanding of 
Self and Others 


UNDERSTANDING SELF AND OTHERS 


The children in Miss Winston's sixth-grade 
class had flitted restlessly from one activity to 
another, interrupted each other and the 
teacher. Finally, Miss Winston took a book 
from her desk and suggested they relax for a 
time and listen to a story. 

As she read, her shoulders lost some of their 
tenseness, her voice became an instrument to 
communicate the feelings of Aunt Anne por- 
trayed in a selection from Cheaper By the 
Dozen . 1 The classroom became quiet. Pencils 
rested and were not being dropped. As she 
finished reading the incident, one boy said, 
“You really felt like Aunt Anne this morning, 
didn't you, Miss Winston? You were just as 
mad at us." 

1 Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine G. Carey, 
Cheaper by the Dozen. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell 
Company, 1948. p % 175-181. 


Miss Winston smiled as she replied, “Yes, 
Pete. I was really irritated. You haven't 
worked well this morning. The whole class 
was unwilling to help. There were argu- 
ments, clenched fists, and an undercurrent of 
anger." 

“But, Miss Winston," interjected Emmy 
Lu, “Didn’t Aunt Anne in the story like the 
children? She was very cross with them, but 
they liked her." 

The discussion of adult-child relationships 
continued until one lanky pre-adolescent 
shifted to ask, “But, you get mad at us some- 
times. Do you love us. Miss Winston?" 

The noon dismissal bell rang. A stillness 
hovered over the group. Miss Winston looked 
at the boys and girls — their eyes pleading for 
the answer. Unkempt, some not very intelli- 
gent, many over-age — fat, listless, the poten- 


238 


Children Seek Understanding of Self and Others - 239 


tial delinquents from this sordid neighbor- 
hood — they listened for her answer to that 
question — do you love us? 

A book had made it possible to bring a 
feeling of unity to the classroom once more. 
By means of a story the teacher relieved ten- 
sions — her own and the children's. More im- 
portant, there was an atmosphere of warm 
friendliness and acceptance which made it 
possible for these children to ask the question 
all humans ask of each other and of those per- 
sons important to them. “Do you love me? Can 
you love me even though I live in a crowded 
tenement? Even though I don't wash very 
often? Even though I lose my temper and 
lash out at others in my hurt? Even though I 
still can't subtract very well? Who am I that 
you can love?" 

In building his concept of self, each person 
asks these questions: What kind of person am 
I? What are my roles in society to be? What 
do others think of me? The self is built 
through the mirrored reactions and inter- 
actions with people, places, and things. Whit- 
man expressed this idea that we are in the 
process of becoming as we interact with the 
environment: 

There was a child went forth every day; and 
the first object he look’d upon, that object he 
became; 2 

More significant than the objects are the 
relationships and feelings the child experi- 
ences. All that he perceives becomes a part of 
him. He builds the concept that he is a 
worthy person, a person who can succeed, a 
person who is loved; who can, in turn, respect 
and love others as he received these impres- 
sions from others. In the beginning, it is his 
mother and father; later, the neighbors and 
the teachers become those “significant others" 
who influence his development of self. Soon 
it is his own peer group that plays a major 
part in this process of becoming. 

2 Walt Whitman, “There Was a Child Went Forth,” 
Leaves of Grass. New York: David McKay Company, 
Inc., 1900. p. 134. 


Books in the Culture 

Stories and books have long been valued as a 
means of instruction and character training. 
As folk tales were told by the old and re- 
spected members of the group, the cultural 
values were passed on to the next generation. 
The Teacher of the New Testament taught 
His lessons through parables or stories. In the 
Colonial period, schools were established in 
order that children might learn to read the 
Bible. One of the first school laws was the Old 
Deluder Satan Act which noted that “one 
chief project of that old deluder, Satan, [is] to 
keep men from knowledge of the scriptures." 
Knowledge of the Bible was considered basic 
to the development of character. The didac- 
tic literature written for children of the 
eighteenth and early nineteenth century was 
solely aimed at instruction and character 
training. Literature is recognized as a signifi- 
cant force in the life of the individual and of 
the total group. 

Riesman* has analyzed the influence of lit- 
erature and mass media in tradition-directed, 
inner-directed, and other-directed societies. 
In a tradition-directed society, songs and 
stories are told by a member of the family 
who changes them to fit the children and 
adults who are listening. Through the folk 
tale, the child learns what to do to be ad- 
mired; he learns the behavior which is ac- 
ceptable in that society. When a society be- 
comes inner-directed, that is, when the 
individual begins to seek his own code, books 
assume far greater significance. Riesman 
writes of this influential force in the inner- 
directed society: 

Doubtless the printing press alone cannot com- 
pletely assure any particular form of social coer- 
cion — and of course not all children, even in the 
inner-directed middle class, were readers. But 
print can powerfully rationalize the models which 
tell people what they ought to be like. Reaching 
children directly as well as through their parents 
and teachers, it can take the process of socializa- 

3 David Riesman, Nathan Glazer and Reuel Den- 
ney The Lonely Crowd. New Haven: Yale University 
Press, 1950. pp. 86-112. 



240 - Knowing Children's Literature 

tion out of the communal chimney corner of the 
era depending on tradition-direction and pene- 
trate into the private bedrooms and libraries of 
the rising middle class; the child is allowed to gird 
himself for the battle of life in the small circle of 
light cast by his reading lamp or candle. 4 

Riesman suggests that in the society with 
this inner-direction, the child learns about 
adult roles through reading. At this stage in 
the development of the society, adult books 
are taken over by children. He notes that the 
danger in reading biographies of exemplary 
persons and roles is that the child reads in 
isolation. “There is none of the familiarity 
with the hero, even the gods in the guise of 
heroes, to be found in the orally mediated 
myths of the society depending on tradition- 
direction /’ 5 This results in a “dreadful in- 
security” as to whether the child can live up 
to these models. 

In our present society, Riesman says chil- 
dren are other-directed, that is, behavior is in 
terms of expectations of others. It is no longer 
the child’s task to see the adult world — mass 
media ask the child to see the world as the 
other child sees it. Riesman also notes that 
reading and listening are communal — groups 
read comics, look at TV — or if not in fact, 
the shadow of the peer group hovers over the 
child as he reads. 

Riesman points out one result of the other- 
directed child’s new understanding of the 
good guys and the bad guys: 

Thus we come to a paradox. The other-directed 
child is trained to be sensitive to interpersonal 
relations, and often he understands these with a 
sophistication few adults had in the era of inner- 
direction. Yet he can be strikingly insensitive to 
problems of character as presented by his favorite 
storytellers; he tends to race through the story for 
its ending, or to read the ending first, and to miss 
just those problems of personal development that 
are not telltale clues to the outcome. It looks as 
though the situation of group reading, of having 
to sit on the jury that passes out Hooper ratings, 
forces the pace for the other-directed child. He 
cannot afford to linger on “irrelevant” detail or 
to daydream about the heroes. To trade prefer- 

*Ibid., p. 91. 

8 Ibid., p. 97. 


ences in reading and listening, he need know no 
more about the heroes than the stamp trader 
needs to know about the countries the stamps 
come from. 6 

Riesman cites the story of Tootle — an en- 
gine who goes off the track — as an example 
of literature reflecting our social values. 
Adult engines manipulate the young engine 
into conformity with the peer group. This 
book reflects the way children are over-di- 
rected today. Yet, in life, the signals are not 
so clear as those given' to Tootle. Such litera- 
ture may lead to false expectations of life and 
present conflicting values. 

From the findings of psychologists, anthro- 
pologists, and sociologists, we now have more 
information about the forces impinging upon 
the child and his personal -social develop- 
ment. However, a wide frontier in child de- 
velopment remains to be explored. We know 
that books alone cannot build character. We 
know that each reader brings a unique back- 
ground of experience to the book he reads. 
As books communicate information about 
the world and people and interpret social re- 
lationships, they do become a part of the 
reader. Growth in understanding of self and 
others occurs when such communication 
takes place. 

Books Lead to Understanding 

What part can books play in the development 
of understanding of ourselves and others? 
First, books can help children understand 
that all behavior is caused. Eleanor Estes’ 
book, The Hundred Dresses, illustrates be- 
havior which resulted from a child’s need for 
friends and status. In Dejong’s Wheel on the 
School, Dutch children come to understand 
the cause of the cross and sullen behavior of 
legless Janus. They realize that outward be- 
havior may be only a symptom of a deeper 
need. Understanding emotional responses is 
difficult to achieve. A Swedish story, The 
Spettecake Holiday, helps the reader under- 
stand why Pelle-Goran was so cross and ir- 
ritable when his mother was hospitalized. 
Pelle-Goran was angry at the whole world. 

6 Ibid., p. 104. 



Children Seek Understanding of Self and Others - 241 


He refused to obey. Unnerstad has reflected 
the child’s concern which actually prompted 
this bad behavior: 

Pelle-Goran wanted his mother so badly, it 
burned and smarted inside him when he thought 
about it. He felt so sorry for her. But most of all 
he felt sorry for himself, because he was so lone- 
some without her . 7 

This book won the Holgersson award for the 
best Swedish children’s book of the year. Not 
only does the author depict the inner long- 
ings of a child, she weaves an active story 
with elements of mystery and humor. 

Second, books can help children under- 
stand the basic needs which are common to 
all age groups and all peoples. In Sorensen's 
Miracles on Maple Hill, the need of a tense, 
emotionally hurt, and tired adult is sensi- 
tively portrayed. Folk and fairy tales reflect 
the need for achievement and recognition. 

7 Edith Unnerstad, The Spettecake Holiday. New 
York: The Macmillan Company, 1958. p. 4. 


Ragged Cinderella wins her prince; legend- 
ary John Henry wins respect. Adults and 
children alike respond to the quiet, ex- 
pressive statements about friendship in A 
Friend Is Someone Who Likes You. Joan 
Anglund goes further in her companion vol- 
ume, Love Is a Special Way of Feeling, to de- 
scribe the way we recognize receiving and 
giving love — man’s encompassing basic need. 

Love is found in unexpected places .... 

Love starts in little ways 

It may begin the day 

we first share our 

thoughts with someone else . . . . 8 

The printed page becomes an avenue to 
the feelings of others. Books can help chil- 
dren understand that others meet problems 
in growing up — the problems of family rela- 

8 Joan Walsh Anglund, Love Is a Special Way of 
Feeling. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 
1960. Unpaged. 


“It may begin the day we first 
share our thoughts with some- 
one else. . . .” From Love Is a 
Special Way of Feeling written 
and illustrated by Joan Walsh 
Anglund. Harcourt, 1960. 




242 - Knowing Children's Literature 

tionships, of finding a place in the peer 
group, of adjusting to new situations, prob- 
lems related to personal handicaps. 

Understanding may come as the reader 
identifies, imitates, or recognizes similarities 
of his problems to those of book characters. 
In reading Call Me Charley, one child may 
identify with Charley, the young Negro who 
moves to a new neighborhood and tries to 
make his place in an all white school. An- 
other reader may literally stand in the shoes 
of Tom who befriends the Negro. One book 
may result in the identification with different 
characters by different children. The style 
employed in Onion John helps the older 
reader identify with Andrew Rusch as he is 
torn between loyalty to his father and the 
itinerant John who bases action upon super- 
stition instead of reality. Vicariously, a boy 
may share the friendly comradeship of this 
father and son. After reading a book, the 
child may imitate one of the characters. One 
child once set out to be like Homer Price by 
imitating Homer’s ingenuity in creating in- 
ventions. We cannot tell what imaginary 
robes the child is wearing after he reads a 
book he enjoys. Acceptance of this role play- 
ing is indicated in such a book as The Brave 
Cowboy by Anglund. Here a boy imagines 
great experiences as a cowboy. The third way 
books develop understanding is in helping 
the child realize others face problems similar 
to his. Literature provides opportunities of 
comparing and contrasting the experiences 
of others with one’s own. In The Green 
Ginger far by Judson, a Chinese girl meets 
the conflicting standards of an older genera- 
tion from a different culture with the expecta- 
tions of her modern “American” peers. 
Through books the child learns that others 
feel afraid in new situations. He can come to 
accept his own fears as he recognizes that 
familiar feeling described as Jack, in The 
New Boy, enters a new classroom: 

Jack's mouth felt dry and the muscles up the 
backs of his legs felt tight and hard, but there was 
no strength in their hardness. His stomach felt 


tight, too, with an empty sort of tightness quite 
different from the feeling which follows a big 
dinner. 9 

Books can help children recognize the 
special problems which some face. As the 
reader identifies with Chibi in Yashima’s 
Crow Boy he, too, cowers under the school- 
house; he feels left out, on the periphery of 
life; for a little while he understands how it is 
to be alone. If one child is the “Chibi” in his 
class, he finds here a companion — one who 
also suffers, yet one who finds a measure of 
happiness, who finally whistles the song of 
happy crows. The child who goes home to a 
shabby, dirty room occupied by shiftless par- 
ents and too many brothers and sisters will 
find Maggie Rose a symbol of courage. In 
Ruth Sawyer’s Maggie Rose — Her Birthday 
Christmas, the reader shares Maggie's strug- 
gle to plan a real ''birthday Christmas” for 
those Bunkers — her no-account family. 

As the child enjoys books he also recog- 
nizes they portray expectations of society and 
acceptable behavior patterns. Many Ameri- 
cans going up the social-class ladder have 
learned from reading stories how to behave 
in the new group. Books and “slick” maga- 
zines have also contributed to the conformity 
we decry in American society. Yet, for many, 
books have shown the way. What happens at 
the opera? What does one do? In The Satur- 
days, by Enright, the reader shares the won- 
derful day Rush Melendy spent at the opera. 
He learns what to expect and how people 
behave at the opera. Literature conveys more 
than manners and social graces, however. 
Folk tales have been called the “social cement 
of society.” Right and wrong, the true and 
false, are stated repeatedly in the folk litera- 
ture. The fair play and good sportsmanship 
exemplified by Tunis in his modern sports 
stories reinforce the code of the American 
playground. Understanding of differences in 
expectations is gained through such a book as 
Thirty-One Brothers and Sisters by Mirsky. 
Here one learns the social expectations of a 

•Mary Urmston, The New Boy . New York: Double- 
day 8c Company, 1950. p. 8. 



Children Seek Understanding of Self and Others - 243 


group in which one father has several wives, 
but the values of honesty and responsibility 
are the same in this culture as in ours. 

Literature for children presents the prob- 
lems of everyday existence— living, growing, 
adjusting^ changing. Books help the reader 
become aware of this growth process. De- 
velopment of self concept is shown by Krauss 
in Is This You? The young child builds a pic- 
ture of himself as he hears the questions and 
enjoys the humor of the ridiculous answers. 
Literature expresses the fears, insecurities, 
and joys of growing, of ever becoming a new 
ME. Some books help the child realize he is 
growing and changing. In Just the Right 
Size, by the Kings, the young child always 
seems too small to play with his brothers or to 
really use the furniture. The day he realizes 
he is just the right size to see crickets and to 
catch grasshoppers, he understands that he is 
just the right size for now. Sharing a ten- 
year-old Indian boys problems helps the 
reader of . . . and now , Miguel understand 
this urge to grow. Miguel explains: 

I am Miguel. For most people it does not make 
so much difference that I am Miguel. But for me, 
often, it is a very great trouble. 

It would be different if I were Pedro. He is my 
younger brother, only seven years old. For Pedro 
everything is simple. Almost all the things that 
Pedro wants, he has — without much worry. 10 

Miguel thinks his older brother, Gabriel, 
can also have everything he wants. Gabriel 
can be president of the Future Farmers, play 
basketball, shoot a rifle, and go with the 
sheep to the pasture in the Sangre de Cristo 
mountains. Miguel asks Gabriel how to get 
all these things but Gabriel can only say, “It 
takes a little time. Wait a year or two, and 
it’ll be easier.” Miguel expresses the problem 
of all who feel “in between”: 

Both of them, they are happy. 

But to be in between, not so little any more 

10 Joseph Krumgold, . . . and now, Miguel. Illustra- 
ted by Jean Chariot. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 
1953. p. 1. 


and not yet nineteen years, to be me, Miguel, and 
to have a great wish — that is hard. 11 

Good literature provides experiences in 
testing reactions to emotions, in understand- 
ing these surges of feeling, and in accepting 
them. Loneliness and sadness are poignantly 
expressed in Baldwin’s The Hermit of Crab 
Island when a lonely boy loses his dog. The 
quiet explanation and serenity of the lovely 
blue, green and yellow pictures give reassur- 
ance about the mystery of death in The Dead 
Bird by Margaret Wise Brown. The children 
pick up a dead bird, feel no heart beating, 
“That was the way animals got when they 
had been dead for some time — cold dead and 
stone still with no heart beating .” 12 They 
have a funeral, make a stone marker, and 
carry flowers to the grave. But the children 
return to play and forget the bird. Life goes 
on — we need not feel guilty if we forget; the 
cycle continues. 

The cycle of life is beautifully expressed in 
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White. There is 
sadness as Charlotte expends her final energy 
and dies alone. This lovable spider has been 
our friend; we shall miss her, but the under- 
standing of her calm acceptance of life, birth, 
and death has helped us probe this mystery 
and accept this universal rhythm. 

Examples of joy in living — in sharing fun, 
in exploring nature, in tingling with excite- 
ment — these emotions abound in literature 
for children. There is the joy expressed in 
Peep-lo as curious Jill finds a Plover nest. 
Jane Castle’s use of space and the simple 
sketches convey a feeling of warm sun on the 
open beach. 

The gay abandon of children playing in 
the moonlight is captured by Janice Udry 
and Maurice Sendak in The Moon Jumpers. 
The beautiful illustrations reflect the ex- 
hilarating magic of a pale moon on a summer 
evening. The reader can almost feel the grass 
tickle his bare feet as he reads, “The warm 
night-wind tosses our hair. The wind chimes 

31 Ibid., p. 9. 

“Margaret Wise Brown, The Dead Bird. New 
York: William R. Scott, Inc., 1958. Unpaged. 




Shimmering light contrasts with deep blues, purples, and greens as children express their 
exuberance of a moonlit night. From The Moon Jumpers by Janice Udry. Illustrated by 
Maurice Sendak. Harper, 1959. 


stir, and we all dance, barefooted. Over and 
over the grass! We play tag in and out. With 
the wind and with each other .” 13 Readers 
recall the joy of In the Forest, by Ets, as the 
animals come to play, the bouncy good feel- 
ing of Heidi as she goes down the alpine 
slopes described by Spyri, the racing excite- 
ment of Farley’s The Black Stallion. Joy 
comes in many shapes and forms. It is re- 
created in literature so it may be shared 
again and again. 

This chapter describes many fictional 
books which will help children gain under- 
standing of their own development. Under- 
standing of his own needs will assist the child, 
in understanding the values and motivations 
of others. 

38 Janice Udry, The Moon Jumpers. Illustrated by 
Maurice Sendak. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1959. 
Unpaged. 


Many informational books contribute to 
understanding of self and others. Facts about 
growth and reproduction help the child un- 
derstand changes in his body. In the Gruen- 
bergs’ book, The Wonderful Stoty of You 
there is an excellent chapter titled, “Becom- 
ing Yourself.” The authors point out changes 
in ideas as well as changes in physical appear- 
ance. The relation of emotion to eating hab- 
its is clearly presented by Zim in Your Food 
and You. Factual books can also prepare 
children for new experiences. For example, 
in About Jack's Dental Check Up, Jubelier 
shows the young child what happens when he 
goes to the dentist. Jack is almost “too good”; 
other sevens will probably wonder if he really 
doesn't eat sweets and if he really brushes 
his teeth after every meal. In Our Wonderful 
Eyes Perry describes a blind man's day and 
suggests ways to make a blind person com- 




Children Seek Understanding of Self and Others - 245 


fortable. Informational books can provide 
vicarious experience which will help allay 
fears and can help children understand ways 
to develop better human relations. Biogra- 
phies may give children the opportunity to 
identify with people who have lived greatly. 
Many of the books mentioned in Chapters 
4, 5, and 6 contribute to the understanding 
of self and others. 


We do not know how one book will affect 
a particular child; we cannot measure what 
he takes from the pages of print and picture. 
We can provide a wide variety of books, but 
we must also provide many rich, first-hand 
experiences with the physical and social 
world in order that he bring understand- 
ing to the symbols he reads to give them 
meaning. 


BOOKS TO DEVELOP UNDERSTANDING 


The interaction of the reader with a book is 
unique, for each person brings different ex- 
periences to the words and pictures he per- 
ceives. Indeed, each perceives the pages dif- 
ferently and selects from the book that com- 
munication from author and artist which is 
meaningful to him. As the Prophet stated, 
“No man can reveal to you aught but that 
which already lies half asleep in the dawning 
of your knowledge." 14 A child may take from 
a book a different understanding than that 
of teacher or librarian. The right of each 
reader to his own interpretation must be re- 
spected. Books include values, incidents, and 
records of human relationships which serve 
many purposes. The finest literary communi- 
cation results in a communion of understand- 
ing of self and others. 

In selecting books to help children better 
understand themselves and others, the cri- 
teria established for all children’s literature 
should be applied. Many of the so-called 
classics are not suitable for developing this 
understanding. A style enjoyed by another 
generation may actually prevent develop- 
ment of understanding. The situations and 
characters must be vital and sincere. Senti- 
mentalism is usually not accepted by chil- 
dren; didacticism may create barriers to un- 
derstanding. The values in the book should 
be appropriate to the developmental level of 
the child. 

Books which are used to promote under- 
standing should be carefully evaluated by the 

14 Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet. New York: Alfred A. 
Knopf, 1951. p. 62. 


teacher or librarian. When the problem over- 
shadows the plot and when the writing is 
sentimental or weak, the book probably has 
little value in changing children’s attitudes, 
behavior, or values. 

“Growing Up” 

SIZE MAKES A DIFFERENCE 

The concept one holds of himself is influ- 
enced by his feeling about size. To the child, 
growing seems a very slow process indeed. 
Ruth Krauss has captured the feeling that 
“everything grows up except me" in The 
Growing Story . Growth in plants and ani- 
mals is illustrated by the changes in the 
stylized trees and the size of the animals. 
Finally, the little boy finds his last year’s 
jacket is too small — he has been growing. 
Similarly, Krasilovsky's The Very Little Girl 
helps children perceive the process of growth. 
It is easy for the young child to identify with 
the very little girl who was too small to see 
over the fence. The reader senses her small- 
ness in the big chair. There is reassurance 
in the climax which shows she has grown a 
great deal before the arrival of a new baby 
brother who was “very very very little." 

Just the Right Size, Not Too Small After 
All, and Shoeshine Boy, are three books which 
describe situations in which boys find they 
can contribute, achieve, and win a place even 
though they are small in comparison with 
others. The boy in Just the Right Size by the 
Kings realizes he can see things and make 
discoveries others miss. Eight-year-old Joey 
in Clymer’s Not Too Small After All ached 



246 - Knowing Children's Literature 

to play ball, but was always told he was too 
small. How his spirits sagged when Jim said, 
“You go over there and watch/’ With the 
help of his dog, Joey finds a way to parti- 
cipate in the play. In another book by Beim, 
enterprising Teddy is too small for shoeshin- 
ing at the library stand with the older boys, 
but he finally wins success by shining chil- 
dren’s shoes at the supermarket. In Clymer’s 
book, O’Sullivan’s illustrations show real 
boys. One child wears glasses, for example; 
blue jeans, rumpled T shirts, and the argu- 
mentative stance of small boys further con- 
vey this realism. 

Beim has written another story which ac- 
curately portrays the behavior of a small boy 
who tried to prove he was big by telling big 
tales, shouting in a loud voice, painting big 
things, and by trying to be first. In The 
Smallest Boy in the Class this child grows 
when he shares his lunch and receives the 
accolade, “You have the biggest heart in the 
class." 

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS HELP AND HINDER 

In the family the child develops his self-con- 
cept and is nurtured or bends to meet the 
forces and barriers of physical or emotional 
deprivation. One animal story. Big Talk , il- 
lustrates the need for family love. After the 
little kangaroo boasted he was brave as a 
lion, could jump high as the sun, and could 
run fast as the wind, his mother said, 

‘ 4 But you will 

“Ah,” said the little one, sleepily, 

"I’m glad you told me that. 

Because, you know, I really wasn’t so sure 
About all those things myself!” 15 

It is in the family circle that the child finds 
this reassurance about who he is and what 
he can do. Books may also help him under- 
stand and accept his feelings toward the new 
baby or toward other siblings. Some stories 
depict a warm family life which can be shared 
vicariously; others help children understand 
problems of adoption or broken homes. 

u Miriam Schlein, Big Talk. New York: William R. 
Scott, Inc., 1955. Unpaged. 


Accepting the new baby in the family is 
one of the difficult problems met by many 
children. Young children enjoy Marjorie 
Flack’s story of two children who were sur- 
prised with a baby which proved to be far 
more interesting than the pets they had ex- 
pected. In her book, The New Pet, there is 
understanding of the way the, baby grows. 
The New Baby is a warm story of Mike’s 
preparations for the new baby sister. The 
Shanes have been sensitive to the parent’s 
role in helping a child accept a new baby. 
As the littlest one in the family, Robert could 
only observe the interesting activities of 
adults. Suzanne Larsen’s pictures clearly show 
Robert as a very small boy under his father’s 
chair, trying his mother's high heels, or try- 
ing to ride his brother’s bike. In this book, 
The Littlest One in the Family, Lois Duncan 
has captured the feelings of a small boy who 
remembers to be nice to the baby “because 
he knew how it felt to be the littlest one in 
the family." 

Baker’s story of Little Brother is too con- 
trived. John becomes quite sad when the new 
baby usurps his parents’ time and attention. 
He comes to understand these feelings as he 
observes the behavior of his first dog. Shady, 
when a second dog seems to win John’s favor. 

The longing for attention from a mother 
busy with a new baby is expressed in Judy's 
Baby by Scott. Mother never seems to stop 
long enough to talk to Judy. When Judy ob- 
serves another girl her own age caring for a 
new sister, she gains insight into her role and 
returns to work with her mother. The “mid- 
dle years" child will share Judy's reassurance 
in being held in her mother’s lap and hear- 
ing the lullaby of her own babyhood. Her 
long legs dangle comfortably as Judy and her 
mother create together a song for the new 
baby. 

Many books for children present whole- 
some family relationships in which there is 
love and respect for each other’s needs. A 
book may emphasize another theme, but it 
may also suggest fun, warmth, and security 
within the family. In One Morning in Maine, 
understanding parents are sensitively por- 



Children Seek Understanding of Self and Others - 247 


trayed by McCloskey. When the little girl in 
The Night When Mother Was Away could 
not sleep, her father, wisely understanding 
her loneliness, read a story, sang, and took 
her for a walk. The lovely, descriptive text 
and soft colors of the illustrations evoke the 
beauty and mystery of a summer evening. 
The Night When Mother Was Away, by Zolo- 
tow, illustrates a secure father-child relation- 
ship. A Russian folk tale based upon the 
proverb, “We do npt love people because 
they are beautiful, but they seem beautiful 
to us because we love them,” reflects the deep 
love of a child for a mother. My Mother Is 
the Most Beautiful Woman in the World by 
Reyher tells of a little Russian girl who is 
lost in the wheatfields. Found by other vil- 
lagers, she says her mother is the most beauti- 
ful woman. All learn the lesson of love when 
the superficially homely mother comes for 
Vanya. 

^ Family fun, sharing family interests, and 
understanding individuals in the family 
group is reflected in many well-written books 
for children. Despite their economic hard- 
ships, The Moffats have fun and share each 
others problems. The Hallowe’en stunt they 
devise is especially amusing. There is adven- 
ture as Rufus Moffat rides the freight train 
to get little Hughie Pudge back in school; 
there is laughter and drama as Joe is unwill- 
ingly catapulted into a dance recital. The 
same author, Eleanor Estes, has created 
warmth and fun in another family story. 
Ginger Pye. The mysterious disappearance of 
Ginger, the “intellectual type” dog, brings 
the family even closer together. All share the 
sorrow of her loss and the joy when she is 
found. 

Emphasis is upon the relationship of the 
four children in The Saturdays . The four 
Melendys are fortunate to have an under- 
standing, though somewhat aloof, father, and 
a patient housekeeper who tolerates their nu- 
merous plans and projects. The plan to pool 
their allowances so each child in turn may 
enjoy a special Saturday excursion brings 
humor and pathos. Randy goes to an art mu- 
seum, Rush to the opera, and Oliver goes 


alone to the circus. When Mona returns with 
haircut and curls from the beauty salon she 
feels guilty; yet she feels secure in this proc- 
ess of emerging into an adolescent: 

She was safe in her bed, the house enclosed her 
in a shell of warm security and all about, on every 
side, were the members of her own family who 
loved and understood her so well. She felt calm 
and happy . 16 

The Wilder books such as Little House on 
the Prairie furnish many examples of a warm 
family relationship. Pa livens the bleak 
household with his fiddle, and Ma is the re- 
sourceful pioneer who hungered for beauty 
and learning for her daughters in the bleak 
wilderness. From these two parents the Wil- 
der girls receive love, faith, and humor to 
face the hardships of life on the plains. 

Although they are economically poor, the 
All-of-a-Kind Family are rich in love and 
companionship. A resourceful mother keeps 
the five girls happy and busy. All-of-a-kind 
family meant “. . . we’re all close and loving 
and loyal — and our family will always be 
that.” Children will better understand the 
parent’s point of view after reading the inci- 
dent in which Sarah refuses to eat her soup 
before the meat and vegetables. Mama holds 
to the rule and the soup appears at Sarah’s 
plate for two meals. The entire family aches 
with the tension. “Mama was equally miser- 
able. She had to keep steeling herself to her 
firm resolve. Don’t be sorry for her, she told 
herself. You mustn't. She must learn her les- 
son .” 17 This incident might be read aloud 
to initiate a discussion of parental roles. 

In Ice Cream for Two, Clare Newberry de- 
scribes the wholesome relationship of a 
mother and her eight-year-old son who move 
to New York. While the artist-mother is out 
looking for work the boy becomes acquainted 
with their apartment neighbors. The mother’s 
pictures of the Siamese cat next door help her 

16 Elizabeth Enright, The Saturdays. New York: 
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1941. p. 102. 

"Sydney Taylor, All-of-a-Kind Family. Chicago: 
Wilcox Sc Follett, 1951. p. 110. 



248 - Knowing Children's Literature 

find work. To celebrate they spend a day do- 
ing what the little boy chooses. By nightfall 
there is only enough money left for ice cream 
for two and they have never seen the movie 
which was the mother's wish. 

The tender concern of parents for their 
children is shown in two stories of migrant 
workers. Family loyalty is strong as these 
people shift from farm to orchard. The close- 
ness of the Mexican family in The Very Good 
Neighbors, by Eberle, is demonstrated as they 
all gather junk to build a house. There is 
warmhearted acceptance of the sister who 
doesn’t like to work. When mother goes to 
clean for a lady in the town, the children ar- 
rive at noon and sit quietly outside. The 
reader senses their joy and love as they take 
turns eating the ice cream she passes out of 
the window. 

The migrant child who is constantly ad- 
justing to new situations must find his se- 
curity in the family. Doris Gates writes a 
touching story in Blue Willow. Janey Larkin 
longs for a permanent home and is willing 
to sacrifice her only treasure, a blue willow 
plate, to keep the home they have found. 
Her warm relationship with her father and 
stepmother is, perhaps, the foundation of 
her courage. When Janey tells how they were 
cheated by the unscrupulous rent collector, 
the Larkins are allowed to stay. Judy's Jour- 
ney by Lenski is another story of a migrant 
family following the crops from Florida to 
New Jersey. 

One might consider “those Bunkers" a 
shiftless, irresponsible set of parents. As in- 
deed they are! In Maggie Rose, Her Birthday 
Christmas, the reader realizes that although 
they may be lazy and social parasites, the 
Bunker parents described by Ruth Sawyer 
give much to their brood. Somehow they pro- 
duce a child who is different, who “hankers" 
for a clean house, jobs like other people, and 
a real Christmas celebration on her birthday. 
When Maggie Rose’s money is stolen she 
loses spirit, but the family rouses itself and 
goes to work to do for Maggie what she 
wanted to do for them. Their pride shines 
as brightly as the Christmas candles! 


Good family relationships are also illus- 
trated in books about other lands. Set in 
modern Japan, Takao and Grandfather’s 
Sword, by Uchida, is a story of a boy’s prob- 
lems in growing up. It could well be used to 
discuss the gradual acceptance of responsi- 
bility — successful achievement of small tasks 
paves the way for larger accomplishments. 
When Takao ’s carelessness results in a seri- 
ous fire, his father’s patient understanding 
helps him to grow in courage and responsi- 
bility. 

The fatherless French family who change 
hobo Armand’s life reflects unity and security 
despite their poverty. In The Family Under 
the Bridge, by Carlson, loyalty and the joy 
of sharing simple pleasures are emphasized. 

Conflicts within families, particularly be- 
tween the generations, are presented in sev- 
eral books. An example of divided loyalties 
is in Wibberly’s book about the American 
Revolution, Peter T reegate’s War . The second 
in a series of four books about the revolution, 
this volume describes Peter’s part in Bunker 
Hill and in crossing the Delaware. Peter 
hardly knows his real father, a Boston mer- 
chant who is fighting side by side with a 
Scot enemy, Maclaren of Spey. The Maclaren 
had saved the boy’s life and raised him as his 
own son. When Peter has to decide whether 
to go with his real father or stay with his 
wounded foster father, we share his conflict 
and the process of growing up. This is out- 
standing historical fiction for children in 
grades five to eight. 

The conflicting values of old and young in 
a different cultural group are reflected in the 
exciting story by Judson, The Green Ginger 
Jar. Ai-Mei, the young Chinese granddaugh- 
ter seeks her grandmother's approval to have 
her hair cut as she says, “My troubles eat into 
me like a worm. ... I want to be like other 
people.” When the grandmother tells that 
her feet were bound so that the family status 
could be maintained, Ai-Mei points out the 
similarity of the situation today. This mys- 
tery story helps children understand a mod- 
ern family in Chicago. 

Identification with families around the 



Children Seek Understanding of Self and Others - 249 


world is made possible through reading 
Schneider’s Follow the Sunset and listening 
to the accompanying record of lullabies 
around the world. As the sun sets, each fam- 
ily returns from work, enjoys the evening 
meal, finds companionship, and then hears 
the mother’s lullaby. 

Getting along with siblings is one of the 
major problems of children in all families. 
The problem of teasing is delightfully han- 
dled in Big Brother by Charlotte Zolotow. 
When the little girl finally understands that 
her brother just pretended to put tacks in 
her bed or break an egg in her hair, she stops 
crying. Mary Chalmers’ illustrations capture 
the irritation, the humor, and the compan- 
ionship of the two children. Beim’s Too 
Many Sisters expresses well the feelings of 
a small boy in a family of girls. Jason and 
Timmy, by Scott, describes a realistic quar- 
rel between two brothers. This incident could 
be used to introduce role playing or discus- 
sion of similar family problems. The games 
of war played by these boys and their third- 
grade peers are true to life. When Timmy 
shoves his way into a fight to defend his 
brother, the reader senses his family loyalty. 


Wanted ... a Brother, by Bell, is a rather 
slight story of a boy who wanted a brother 
to talk to, to play with, and “to drink choc- 
olate sodas with.’’ Children will enjoy the 
humor of his desire to buy a brother at the 
Brothers Sales Co. or to trade for one at the 
trading post. When his sister retrieves his 
kitten, he decides a sister can be fun, too. 
Although sometimes depicted as old enough 
to go away from home to play, or to go alone 
for a chocolate soda, the boy seems more like 
a four- or five-year-old. This inconsistency 
makes the story unrealistic. 

The unique problem of developing in- 
dividuality as a twin is described by Ruth 
and Harold Shane in The Twins. Although 
Sue and Ann enjoy confusing others by their 
identical appearance, they dislike the merg- 
ing of personalities when schoolmates call 
each girl Sue-Ann. Different hair styles and 
new dresses help each girl achieve individu- 
ality. 

Several books deal with special problems 
of the orphan and the adopted child. Or- 
phanages are portrayed in many ways. 
Whether Bemelmans’ Madeline is in an or- 
phanage or in boarding school, the reader 


A teasing big brother de- 
lights in his sister's howls as 
shown in this story of family 
relations. From Big Brother 
by Charlotte Zolotow. Illus- 
trated by Mary Chalmers. 
Harper, 1960. 




250 - Knowing Children's Literature 

catches a glimpse of life where there are al- 
ways rows of children — rows as the girls walk, 
rows at meal time, rows of beds. The warmth 
of life in a poverty-stricken orphanage is il- 
lustrated in Natalie Carlson's books about 
the French orphans, The Happy Orpheline 
and A Brother for the Orphelines. In the lat- 
ter, the incident in which resourceful Josine 
wins the boys' best marbles would be fun to 
dramatize. Deeper concern for unwanted 
children is expressed as these orphelines ac- 
cept a new baby left on their doorstep. This 
need to be wanted, to belong, can be dis- 
cussed with the group after reading parts of 
such books. 

In Adopted Jane, Daringer shows life in 
an orphange in its realistic greyness. How- 
ever, Jane is almost too goody-goody when 
she is finally chosen for a summer with a 
foster family! When she refuses new dresses 
because she thinks the foster mother should 
save her money to give the orphanage, the 
reader questions the characterization. Jane 
so frequently says, “don't be a stick-in-the- 
mud'' and “do your best and let your con- 
science be your guide’’ that we feel she is un- 
real. Making a choice between two future 
homes is a very real decision for Jane, how- 
ever. Middle-grade readers could be asked to 
tell how they would decide which family to 
select. 

A true story of the adoption of twelve chil- 
dren by a Methodist minister and his wife 
brings laughter and understanding. In A 
Brother the Size of Me, Helen Doss describes 
this “United Nations” family — children from 
Korea, Mexico, Japan, Burma, and an Amer- 
ican Indian. Donny continues to hope they 
adopt a boy his size. When his wish is finally 
granted, he learns the price of having a 
brother by sharing his dog and his treasures. 

Wasson has rewritten his classic about 
adoption, The Chosen Baby . The simple text, 
designed for young children, tells the steps 
of adopting a baby. When the first “chosen 
baby” is older, the family adopts a baby sis- 
ter for Peter. Parents could read the story 
and add details of the selection of their own 
child. Here's a Penny, by Haywood, will help 


the adopted child understand the questions 
which will arise about his relationship to 
his parents. In an argument the little girl 
next door says, “Well, anyway, I'm my Mom- 
my's and Daddy's real little girl. . . . But 
you're not your Mommy's and Daddy's real 
little boy.” 18 Penny wonders how he can be 
their really, truly boy. The story is far too 
long for the age level whose interest it meets 
(four- to six-year-olds) ; however, it does de- 
scribe one of the common problems of 
adopted children. 

CHILDREN NEED COURAGE 

The joys of childhood are so often praised 
that adults fail to recall the times children 
face anxiety and fear. Children are told to be 
“big and brave”; in our culture, boys, es- 
p